


Long Live

by Meginoi (Delirious99)



Category: Thomas Sanders
Genre: M/M, Royalty AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-12-23 14:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11991612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delirious99/pseuds/Meginoi
Summary: Virgil was everything a future prince shouldn’t be. Quiet, antisocial kid at school who was the last person anyone ever expected to be the future leader of a faraway country. Luckily, that’s what Roman was there for.---------'Long live the walls we crashed throughAll the kingdom lights shined just for me and youI was screaming, "long live all the magic we made"And bring on all the pretendersOne day we will be remembered'





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first multi-chapter fic! Okay, so this has been in the works for a few months and i’m really excited (nervous) to finally post it! Feel free to message me on tumblr! You can find me under the username Meginoi.

Virgil sighed and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, zoning out mindless chatter of his friends and drone of the teacher at the front of the stuffy classroom. His mind aimlessly spun as his gaze fell to the clock on the wall, watching the last minutes of his final class of the day crawl by. The school day had been…bearable. Sure, the homework was still too much and most of the students were complete assholes but it was just about tolerable.

“What do you think, Verge?” Virgil’s mind tuned back into his friends’ conversation at the mention of his name. Logan and Patton were staring at him expectantly. He stared back blankly.

_‘What the hell were they talking about?’_

“Do try to pay attention next time,” Logan quipped. “We’re trying to decide which is better: Star Wars or Doctor Who.”

“It’s obviously Star Wars,” Patton cut in.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Pat. Doctor Who has over 50 years’ worth of-“ The shrill ring of the school bell cut Logan off.

Virgil jumped out of his chair and started to pack his books away, eager to get home for some peace and quiet. He impatiently hovered by the door as he waited for the other two, for once there wasn’t some after-school event they were going to.

_‘Finally,’_ Virgil thought as the three of them left the classroom. They fought through the masses of students in hallways and out of the building.

Straight into the chaos they never even knew were there.

Photographers and journalists were camped outside the school, just barely held back from the school grounds by the gates that stretched around the grounds. They seemed to stretch on forever. Photographers were pushed up against the metal, their expensive cameras sticking through the bars. Journalists had their back to the school, addressing the cameras they stood in front of, a dedicated team was standing out of shot of every one of them. News trucks were parked haphazardly in the street, as if they had rushed out to broadcast. A curious group of on-lookers had also gathered, stretching to catch a glimpse of what the media was in such a frenzy about. None of them could understand why seemingly every single news channel had come to their little town. Their little high school wasn’t anything special, neither was any of the people that went there. Well, as far as anyone knew, no one that went to the school was special outside of those gates.

As the three students stepped outside, the media erupted, shouting question after question and calling for one of them: Virgil.

The camera flashes blinded him, taking away his vision as they attacked from every angle. Virgil froze in shock and horror.

Patton leaned over, not taking wide, shock-filled, eyes off the photographers. “Verge, what’s going on? Why are they calling for you? Why are they calling you Prince?”

_‘Not now! How the hell did they find out?’_

“I’ve got to go,” Virgil replied, turning to run from the media circus. The longer he stayed here the more opportunity they had. He had to get home, fast.

Logan grabbed his wrist, determined to get an explanation to the entirely confusing situation. “Virgil, you’re not going anywhere until you tell us what’s going on.”

“I can’t right now!” Virgil looked to the press, his anxiety and fear of being in the public eye rising. “I’ll explain later.”

Logan sighed, a worried expression falling across his face, but he let go.

Virgil pulled his hood up and bolted, running out of the school grounds and down the street. The press followed him, photographers snapping at his heels and taking pictures as they ran. Virgil sprinted as best he could, backpack awkwardly jumping as he tried to get away from the people trying to invade his life.

Ducking and skidding into alleyways helped him to lose the photographers. He leaned against a brick wall as he caught his breath. He was out of their clutches, for now. He rounded the corner and almost cried with relief as his home came into view. No photographer or journalist in sight. It was like nothing had changed on the road he lived on, a quiet, peaceful escape from the rest of the chaos he had been thrown into.

Virgil slammed the front door shut and let his head fall back against it with a gentle thud. His thoughts were a whirlwind, jumping from one question to the next without an answer to any of them.

_‘What the hell is going on?’_

_‘How did they know?’_

_‘What was going to happen now?’_

Virgil’s mother rushed into the hallway, freezing as she saw him exhaustedly leaning against the door. He loved his mother but damn did her past cause him some problems.

“What’s going on? How’d they find out?” Virgil asked.

His mother sighed and wrapped an arm around him, leading him to the couch. “C’mon honey. Let’s go and sit down.”

“No, I don’t want to sit down! I want to know what’s going on,” he snapped, ducking out of his mother’s grasp.

She hung her head and dropped down onto the couch, absentmindedly chewing on one of her perfectly manicured nails as she stared out of the window. “Your grandmother made the announcement. You’re to join her out in Clearice immediately and begin your lessons. I’m sorry Virgil, I had no idea she was going to do this. Apparently, it helped the press to track you down pretty quickly. I had no idea they were at your school until it was on tv or else I would have come and gotten you myself.”

Virgil’s mind was reeling. _‘She’s made the announcement!’_ He was going to be the crown prince. “She said I could wait until I’m 18. Until I finished school.”

Virgil’s mother sighed. “There’s been…tension recently. For her to produce this mysterious heir that she always bragged about – you. We have to fly out tomorrow.”

_‘Tomorrow?!’_

“But I don’t want to do it. You know I’ve never wanted to do it. You gave it up to be with dad, right? Can’t I just stand down?” Virgil rambled, trying to look for any way out of the situation.

“Virgil,” she started, standing and turning to face him. “At least give it a shot. Like a six month trial run. Your dad would have wanted you to at least try.”

_‘Great. She’s using the dad card.’_

“Fine,” Virgil hissed, storming up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door shut. His knees buckled and he hit the floor, tears filling his eyes and the panic of the situation finally sinking in. He didn’t bother trying to get back up, letting the tears flow as his walls came tumbling down. His chest tightened as his breath started to come in short bursts.

_‘I can’t do this. I can’t do it.’_

Virgil gripped at his hair, pulling at it as if he could pull the overwhelming thoughts straight out of his head.

The grounding feeling of his phone buzzing in his pocket slowly pulled the panic away. He shakily reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw it was Patton calling, not Logan. He didn’t think he could deal with Logan’s cold demeanor right now. He accepted the call.

“Virgil!” Patton exclaimed. “Are you okay, sport? What’s going on?”

Virgil’s eyes filled back up with tears as he tried to explain. “I…I-“ He was cut off by sobs.

“Hey, hey Verge. Calm down its okay. Take deep breaths for me. That’s good…keep going. Great. Now talk to me.”

“There’s something I never told you.”

“Yeah I kinda guessed that.”

Virgil sighed. “My mom was a princess. She gave it up to be with my dad. I don’t have any aunts or uncles so the title was passed onto me.”

Patton went quiet.

“Patton? Patton, are you there? You-“

“OH MY GOD. YOU’RE A PRINCE!”

It was Virgil’s turn to go silent.

“Do I have to call you Sir now?” Patton asked, excitement clear in his voice.

“What? No, of course not.” A sharp knock at Virgil’s door pulled him out of the conversation.

“Patton, I’ve got to go. Can you tell Logan for me? I don’t think I can handle his…logic today, not after everything that’s already happened."

“Sure I can! Oh, and Virgil?”

“Yeah?”

“You’ll be a great prince.”

“Thanks, Pat,” Virgil smiled and hung up, bolting over to sit on his bed and act like he hadn’t just been having a breakdown behind his door. Little did Patton know, he’d never actually become prince, he’d refuse the position before it got that far.

“Hey, honey?” Virgil’s mother hesitantly stepped into the room.

“Yes?”

“You want any help packing?”

_‘Oh yeah, I’ll have to pack wont I? Way to rub salt in the wound.’_

“No, I’m fine.”

“Sure?”

“Yes, get off my back!” His mother didn’t reply, silently leaving the room.

He sighed, falling back onto the bed. Today couldn’t have gone worse. In the space of an hour he’d started to lose everything. His old life, his home, his friends. Only to be replaced with a life where he’d constantly be in the public eye, scrutinized over his hair, his clothes, his personality. He would never accept his grandmother’s offer, and nothing could ever change his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy so many people liked Chapter 1! Thank you all so much for your kind words and messages!! I’ve decided that updates will hopefully be Sundays and Thursdays or as close to that schedule as i can get them. Feel free to message me on tumblr! You can find me under the username Meginoi

As the light flooding into his room started to fade, Virgil stood and started rooting around in his wardrobe, pulling out a black duffel bag. He dumped it on the bed, haphazardly throwing clothes into it from his drawers.

It didn’t take him long to finish packing – if it could be called that. He had packed the bare minimum. There was no point taking everything, he’d stay there for as little time as possible anyway. In some ways, it was him purposely defying his mother’s wishes to give it a shot but it was also a comfort. The less clothes taken the less time spent there right? He hoped he wasn’t running on some faulty logic.

His phone buzzed on the bedside table, lighting up with an incoming call from Logan. Virgil hesitated as he picked up the phone. His friend could be a little…insensitive when it came to people hiding things from him, despite their reasons.

As he answered and held the phone to his ear, Logan immediately started talking, not giving Virgil chance to even say hello.

“Patton has instructed me to be a little more…understanding of your situation, even if you did hide it from us. He’s told me about your interesting predicament but I can’t understand why you didn’t tell us before. We would never have treated you any differently, no matter your lineage.”

“I know, Lo. I guess I just thought I could kinda run from it, y’know?” Virgil sighed, picking at his hoodie sleeve.

“No, I don’t think I do.”

Virgil sighed. “It’s just…”

_‘God, how do I say this?’_

“I never wanted any of this. I know most people would kill for it but I’m not most people. I just wanted a quiet life and what did I get? This chaos. A mother who’s a former princess, a grandmother who’s a queen. My life is gonna be anything but quiet.”

“Is that necessarily a bad thing?” Logan asked. “This can give you many opportunities you might not have had before.”

“I guess but this is everything I know, Logan. I don’t know the first thing about being or a Prince or even the country.”

“Oh, Clearice is a fascinating place. It’s-“ Logan was cut off by a muffled voice.

“What was that?” Virgil asked.

“That was Patton. We’re studying together.” Logan explained. “Virgil I’ve got to go but know you have my support.”

“Logan, before you go.” Virgil started. “Will you and Pat come to the airport tomorrow?”

A moment of silence. “We’ll be there.” The smile in Logan’s voice was easy to hear.

“Bye, Lo.”

“Goodbye Verge.”

He ended the call can put the phone back down. Virgil sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, Logan’s words tumbling through his head.

The rest of the evening was spent in stressed silence. Dinner was a tense affair with Virgil refusing to speak and his mother trying to make conversation. Virgil sat at the table, eyes down, as he pushed his food around the plate more than he ate it. The barrage of emotions had left him with no appetite. Soon after his mother had given up on conversation, Virgil left the table to barricade himself in his room for the rest of the night, telling his mother he was going to bed.

He had no intention of going to bed yet. Virgil stayed up long after his mother had switched of all nights and gone to bed, plunging the house into the darkness that made it devoid of colour. He sighed, scrolling through his phone as the hours ticked by, the blue light illuminating his face before gradually fading out and plunging the room back into darkness. He fell asleep sometime during the late night or early morning – Virgil had no idea when. One minute he was scrolling through Tumblr and the next his mother was waking him up at nine am to catch the flight.

He groggily managed to pull himself out of bed and get ready, taking more time than needed in the hope they’d miss their flight. Unfortunately for Virgil, his mother had left plenty of time to get to the airport.

Virgil stood in the doorway, taking one last look at his bedroom. The band and movie posters adorning the walls, blocking out the colour of the wall underneath, the desk in the corner that had an array of papers and books, and a red record player that sat in the corner – a stack of records on the floor next to it. He sighed but tried to quell the tears in his eyes, slowly closing the door and leaving his room, his safe space.

He carried the duffel bag downstairs, his mother anxiously tapping her foot against the linoleum in the hallway. The shouts from outside reached his ears, making his stomach drop.

_‘Are you kidding me? They’ve found our house!’_

“You ready to go, hon?” His mother asked, her voice carrying an overly happy tone.

“I guess,” Virgil mumbled in reply, slinging the bag onto his back.

She turned to open the door, hesitating as her hand curled around the handle. “Maybe you should put your hood up, Verge…just to be safe.”

He sighed and pulled the large hood up, shielding his face from the rabid photographers.

As they left the house, the media descended onto the two, shoving cameras into the air in a desperate attempt to get a decent photo of the former Princess Angeline and her son. They fought through the photographers to get to the car that was waiting at the end of the path.

The door slammed shut as they jumped into the waiting car, being sped away from the chaos and his home as soon as the door slammed shut. Virgil lay back against the seat, trying to slow his pounding heart and short, sharp breaths. He looked around the car, taking in that he wasn’t sitting in his mom’s sedan, he was sitting in a limo.

_‘A limo, really?’_

Virgil glowered and pulled headphones out of his bag before sinking down in the seat and tuning out the world as they made their way to the airport, planes zooming overhead with increasing occurrence and decreasing altitude.

As the car rolled to a stop in front of the airport, Virgil noticed the airport was blissfully free of photographers. But he knew that wouldn’t last long. He pulled the headphones down to rest around his neck and followed his mother out of the car, picking up his bag that had already been placed on the footpath.

He glanced around frantically, looking for two familiar faces as he was led into the airport. Logan and Patton stood at the entrance to the building, running over when they saw him hurriedly entering the building so as to avoid a scene.

Patton was the first to reach Virgil, tackling him with a hug. “Virgil!” he beamed, pulling away from his friend. “We’re going to miss you so much.”

Logan had now reached the two and was nodding in agreement. “Yes, I can confirm we will feel a loss in our little group at your absence. I expect to keep in touch with you, don’t let our little trio fall apart.”

“I won’t, Lo. I promise I won’t. I’m gonna miss you two dorks,” he laughed, tears filling his eyes.

Patton gave him a doleful smile before pulling them into a group hug. The three friends gladly embraced each other, just enjoying the last few minutes of being a trio before one of them was ripped away and placed halfway around the world. All three hearts broke at the thought.

Logan pulled away first, causing Virgil and Patton to also break the hug. He held his hand out to Virgil. Virgil took it.

“Good luck, we’re rooting for you,” he murmured, choking back tears. Virgil was shocked, Logan, the genius that preferred to push down his emotions, was choking back tears. Patton was worse, tears flowing freely down his face as he gave Verge one last hug, too choked up to say anything.

Then it was over. He was pushed away from his friends and into the building, losing sight of them as the automatic doors slid shut.

He followed the driver and his mother to a side door, dodging families and groups alike as they hurriedly made their way to check in, thankfully too entranced in their own little words to notice him striding through the airport and slipping inconspicuously through a side door.

They emerged back out under the grey, underwhelming sky, the wind biting at Virgil’s arms as it blew open his unzipped jacket. He pulled it back around him tightly and quickened his pace towards the white jet with gold trim that sat before him. He hurried up the steps pushed against the plane and out of the biting wind.

The interior of the plane was heavenly. The cream seats a nice contrast to the wood panelled walls, giving the plane the effect of being the height of luxury. It was perfect.

He hated it.

“Why couldn’t we just fly commercial?” Virgil asked, too fearful to move for fear of ruining any of the obviously expensive interior.

“Only the best for royalty!” Angeline proclaimed, sitting down and melting into the seat with a soft, relaxed sigh.

“Now I know why you gave it up,” Virgil glowered, settling into the opposite recliner.

“You know why I gave it up. To be with your dad,” she shot him a pointed look.

“Yep, and wasn’t that a waste of time,” Virgil grumbled. She’d given up her title, the luxury she obviously loved. For what? A husband that was killed in a car crash and a son who had zero self-confidence.

_‘Yep, she’s living the dream!’_

“Virgil,” her voice became cold. “This conversation is over.”

Virgil glowered but didn’t reply, choosing instead to pull his headphones back on and tune the world back out.

The plane shook as the engine roared into life and slowly started to move the large, metal contraption down the runway. Virgil hastily buckled his seatbelt and stretched out as the fasten seatbelt sign lit up.

He felt the plane leave the ground and saw it leave the tarmac of the airport in the distance. The next time he would feel the ground beneath his feet it would be on a different continent, hundreds of miles away from almost everyone he knew.

Virgil watched the houses and people become smaller as he ascended higher and higher. Soon enough, he could only make out vague shapes of vast buildings or acres of greenery in between breaks in the clouds.  
  
He sat back in his seat, there was nothing to see anymore.

The rest of the journey went by in a blur. Virgil alternated between a fitful sleep, that he was thrown out of with every turbulent jerk of the jet, and listening to music, watching the clouds and what he could see of the land far below.

Just as his sleep evened out into a somewhat restful doze, he was shaken awake. His mother’s face met his eyes as he woke, groggily processing the words she was saying.

“Wake up honey, we’re here.”

Virgil snapped into action at the words, looking out the window to see the plane descending from the clouds. The jet bumped and jumped slightly as it hit the ground, making Virgil grip the armrests tightly.

As the door swung open and they left the aircraft, the photographers jumped into action. They called for his attention and snapped photos of his every move.

Virgil rolled his eyes. _‘Great. More photographers.’_

Another sleek car with blacked out windows was waiting for them. Before the press could hurl anymore questions, they were ushered into the car by waiting bodyguards. The door slammed shut as Angeline jumped in, hiding them from the prying eyes of the public.

Virgil sat there, just as shaken as he had been after his first encounter with the media. He’d never get used to that.

The car screeched and tore out of the airport gates as the photographers and journalists made their way after them.

Virgil watched as acres of green fields slowly gave way to the congested roads and houses of Clearice’s main city. They crawled through the city traffic, taking lefts and rights until the traffic thinned out and they drove towards the palace.

It was an architectural feat. An opulent building consisting of a mint green colour with gold detailing that seemed to never end no matter which way you looked. It overlooked the centre of the city, sealed off from the public by large, foreboding gates.

Upon arrival, Virgil had immediate feelings of uncertainty, until what he assumed to be some sort of butler wearing a white uniform with a red sash opened the car door.

_‘A sash? Who wears sashes anymore?’_

The butler helped Virgil and his mother out of the car before going around to retrieve the cases from the trunk. Virgil felt a soft nudge at his shoulder and turned to see his mom giving him an expectant look – say something.

_‘Don’t say anything stupid. Don’t say anything stupid. Don’t say anything stupid.’_

“You guys got wi-fi?”

_‘That was stupid.’_

“Yes, we aren't savages,” the butler replied, his tone indicating that the answer to Virgil’s question was obvious.

_‘Wow, he sounds stuck up already’_

“Prince-”  
  
“Call me Verge.”

“...Verge, welcome to Clearice. After you’re set up your grandmother wants you to begin lessons.” the butler explained.

“...lessons?”

_‘I have a bad feeling about this.’_

“Well yes, you did not expect to just become a prince immediately did you?”

_‘Yes!’_

“Nope, just got confused for a sec.”

“Okay, well I will see you when you are done.”

“Why?”

“My name is Roman. I’m your instructor.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, i have to say your kind messages make my day. Thank you all so much for coming back and keeping up with this fic that’s very close to my heart. Feel free to message me on tumblr! You can find me under the username Meginoi.

“So, how about a little tour before we get to work?” Roman asked, leading them away from the car and into a hallway.

“Uh, sure,” Virgil replied, taking in the surroundings as they emerged from the hallway into a courtyard that was buzzing with activity. Verge’s anxiety shot through the roof, his shoulders tensing up and gaze dropping to the ground.

A man quickly approached the trio and bowed deeply. “Good afternoon, her highness has requested that her daughter join her the throne room.”

Angeline sighed. “I’m sorry honey, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later okay?”

But she was gone before he could object. Virgil turned back to face Roman, his gaze dropping back to the ground as he realised that he was now alone with his new, and extremely intimidating instructor.

“Shall we continue?” Roman looked to the future prince for confirmation. He just shifted his backpack and nodded, avoiding eye contact.

They made their way across the courtyard, dodging servants left and right, and entered into more twisting and winding corridors. The lack of people in the hallway was a blessing to Virgil as his shoulders relaxed slightly and his heart rate slowly started to calm.

_‘I am never going to be able to find my way around.’_

They walked passed lavishly decorated rooms that Roman named but the other couldn’t remember, more interested in making sure he didn’t say anything else stupid. The embarrassment of the earlier situation still bubbled in his stomach.

“And this…” Roman’s voice bought the other out of his daydream “is your room.” He opened the door and stepped back. Virgil glanced at Roman before hesitantly stepping inside.

It was like something out of a movie. Gold patterns of flowers and vines twisted and turned up each wall. They continued along the ceiling and met in the middle where a chandelier hung, crystals reflecting the afternoon sun into a rainbow of colors. The room was also furnished with modern trappings, such as the flat screen TV that hung on the wall in front of the couch. But what caught Virgil’s attention was the French glass doors that led out onto a balcony, overlooking the surrounding gardens.

“I’ll leave you to settle in,” Roman started. “We’ll start working later.” Virgil didn’t reply. The sound of the door clicking shut made the feeling of isolation worsen into a literal pain, cutting into his chest like a knife.

Virgil sighed and dumped his bag down on the bed. He hated it. The brightness of the room, the light-coloured furnishings, it was all just wrong to him. He longed for his old room, with his curtains that blocked out all light, where he could lie in bed until mid-day, where he felt safe. This place was not his home, and nothing could ever make it so.

Virgil hurriedly unzipped his bag and started rooting through it, pulling a black piece of fabric from the bottom of it. He sat back on the bed, wrapped the soft blanket around himself and sighed, tension immediately leaving his body. The loneliness slightly faded away at the feeling of comfort the blanket bought, it calmed the storm raging in his mind. Virgil’s resolve strengthened. He could get through this. Just a few months then he could refuse this life and pretend like none of this had ever happened. He could leave behind the palace and the servants and the instructor that stood for everything he hated.

\-------------------------------

A knock pulled him out of his whirling thoughts. He hastily stashed the blanket back in the bag and answered the door. Roman stood there. “Are you ready to begin our lessons?”

“Uh sure. Weren’t you just here a minute ago?” Virgil could have sworn it had only been a few minutes since he’d last seen the instructor.

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken. It’s been two hours.”

_‘I’ve been daydreaming for two hours?!’_

“Oh…right.”  
  
Roman started walking away, leaving Virgil to shut the door and quickly fall into step with him.  
“There is a small matter that needs to be attended to before we begin,” Roman explained.

“Which is?” Virgil asked.

“Her highness, your grandmother, wants to meet you before today’s lessons,” Roman explained. Virgil felt his stomach drop.

“Why? She just needs an heir, right? Why would she want to get to know me?”

Roman looked at him with wide eyes as they navigated the winding hallways. “You’re her grandson. Of course she’ll want to get to know you.” Virgil just shrugged, not meeting Roman’s gaze. Maybe his instructor wasn't as intimidating as he originally thought.

At that, Roman stopped outside what Virgil thought must be the room. Roman looked at him expectantly, warm eyes locking with his. “Ready?” he asked.

Virgil sighed and nodded. He didn’t feel ready.

_‘No.’_

“Yes.”

Roman held the door open and he stepped inside. His mother sat opposite what must be his grandmother. This was…not what he was expecting. He could never imagine this woman with a kind face sipping tea and laughing with his mother being the leader of a country.

“Virgil! I’m so glad you’re here! I haven’t seen you in forever,” the woman exclaimed as she stood pulled him into a hug. Virgil tensed but didn’t pull away.

“Uh, glad to be here I guess,” he mumbled, trying his best to get out of the hug as quickly as possible without seeming rude.

The queen turned to face his mother. “How old was he last time I saw him?”

“He was 5, mum,” She replied, watching the exchange with obvious apprehension.

_‘I can’t handle this. Everything’s going way too fast.’_

His grandmothers voice cut through the fog in his mind. “Oh, you were so cute! I just wanted to see you again before you started your lessons. I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time.”

“Uh but I’m not –“

“Mother, he hasn’t even agreed yet-“ his mother tried to explain.

“Roman, teach him everything you know,” the queen cut in again.

“Yes, your highness.” Roman nodded.

He had forgotten the instructor was even in the room, with how fast everything was going. He glanced back to see Roman waiting by the door. Taking that as a cue to leave, he followed Roman out of the room.

“Verge honey, I’ll see you at dinner okay? We’ll talk then,” his mum called. He didn’t bother to reply, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and following Roman down the hallway.

The room Virgil was led to looked nothing the classrooms he was used to. The room held a large table and 2 padded chairs instead of the usual well-worn table and uncomfortable chairs a classroom held and looked out onto a clearing of trees that was well by sunlight as the thick covering of trees plunged the rest of the area in darker, more muted tones of green. It felt secluded, hidden away from the chaos of the rest of the palace and the people in it, this was definitely Virgil’s favourite room.

Virgil threw himself into a seat as the ball of a boot clad foot came up to rest on the edge of the expensive-looking oak table. “Will you please put your foot down. That is a table, not a footrest,” Roman chided him, walking away from the boy and towards a laptop and projector set up in front of the table.

“Why? I’m comfortable like this.”

“It is not something princes do!”

“You said I’m not a prince yet.”

“You will be by the time I’m done with you.”

Vergil sits up straight, removing his foot from its resting place.

“Good. Now we can begin.”

Roman jumped straight into the lesson, focusing on the current political issues of the country. Soon enough, Virgil’s head was spinning with information and terms he didn’t understand. It was hard enough for him to focus with everything he was still trying to wrap his head round in the first place, let alone when he was talking about a topic Virgil wouldn’t understand or even care about normally.

“Verge?”

_‘It’s too confusing. I can’t do it.’_

“Virgil?!”

_‘Why did my mom ever think this was a good idea? THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!’_

“VIRGIL!”

Roman shook him out of his panic. His eyes coming back into focus and staring straight into his instructor’s eyes. Hands were settled gently over his shoulders, a grounding presence that bought his mind back to a calm state.

_‘Oh god.’_

“Are you okay?” Roman asked, rubbing comforting circles into Verge’s arms. A embarrassed blush settled onto his cheeks.

_‘He probably thinks I’m such a freak. I can’t even stay calm for a day.’_

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine…thanks,” Virgil mumbled, staring at the floor. Roman gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before pulling away. “Can we, uh, maybe start with something a little easier? I’ve never been able to really understand, or care, about politics.”

Roman smiles. “Sure, let’s start with your family history, but by the time I’ve finished all my teachings you’ll be the best prince that ever was!”

“Keep telling yourself that, Princey,” Virgil countered.

“That should be your nickname, not mine.”

Virgil shrugged. “Suits you.”

The older male laughed, “touché.”

\-------------------------------

“-and that concludes our lesson for today,” Roman finished.

“Already?” Virgil exclaimed.

“I know you love me – uh these lessons so much you don’t want them to end but we’ve been at it for a few hours now. Plus, I need to take you to dinner soon and I’m the one that gets it in the neck if you’re late.”

“It just didn’t feel like that long.” _‘Damn what is with my sense of time right now?’_

“Does that mean you enjoyed it?” Roman asked, exiting the room after Virgil and walking towards the dining room.

“I mean it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. After you finished going on about politics that is,” Virgil shrugged.

“Yes, I think we should save that for later. We’ll start basic. However, you have potential. I can see it. You’ll be slaying dragons in no time!” Roman jested.

“Slaying dragons?” Virgil repeated, disbelief tinting his tone.

“Okay, so maybe that one’s not on the curriculum…” Roman trailed off.

Virgil covered his mouth, slyly hiding a smile threatening to break through. Chattering and laughing suddenly emerged from a nearby door, the sound easily reaching them through the open doors.

“This is where my duties end, I shall see you tomorrow. Goodnight Virgil – I mean… Verge,” Roman smiled.

“Goodnight Princey,” the other replied. Roman turned and walked away, leaving him alone.

Entering the room, Verge’s mood instantly dropped, his shoulders scrunched up and his posture stiffened. That was when he realised he’d been completely at ease around Roman. He took his seat at the table. It was a quaint room and obviously held the table they used when they weren’t playing host to guests, as it was only made to seat four people. However, it was made out of oak, ornate carvings of flowers and ethereal beings embellished the table legs, climbing slowly upwards like mythical climbing vines.

“Good evening, Virgil!” His grandmother exclaimed.

“Yeah, hi,” he mumbled.

 _‘If she cuts me off this time I’m gonna scream.’_ Being cut off during the rare times he actually wanted to contribute was one thing Virgil couldn’t stand.

“How was your lesson, honey?” His mother asked, trying to ease the tension.

“It was fine. Roman is- “

“Oh, Roman is the best!” his grandmother cut in, gesturing wildly with a glass of wine in her hand. “He’s worked at the castle for years. He knows everything there is to know.”

“Stop treating me like a child and let me speak!” Virgil seethed, slamming down the cutlery.

Virgil scowled and diverted his attention to the view outside the large, old-fashioned windows that adorned the wall on the right-hand side of the room, letting in the last shreds of light that the sunset held, bathing the room in a fiery orange light before the land was once again plunged into darkness. The room filled with tension as he decided that was enough social interaction for the day.

“Mum, I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed,” he decided.

“Okay sweetie. We’ll talk tomorrow. Goodnight.”

_‘Mum knows I never go to bed so early. She can tell I’ve had enough bullshit for one day.’_

“Yes, goodnight Virgil,” his grandmother added.

He slowly stood and left the room, the same man that had led his mother away was waiting to escort him to his room.

\-------------------------------

Virgil slid down the back of his door, feeling utterly exhausted. The day’s events were catching up to him in a whirlwind of emotions as the adrenaline of the day ebbed away, leaving him exhausted but slightly brighter about one thing: the lessons to come.

The lightly swaying curtains caught his attention, drawing him towards them and onto the small balcony they framed. The garden below was partially lit with the soft glow of outdoor lamps which lined either side of the gravel paths that weaved all around the garden, only breaking off at the start of a bridge that allowed safe passage over a small stream on the distance.

Virgil sighed and looked to the sky. How different this day had been to what he had expected. Not only had he been given an entirely new life, he had also gained a relative he didn’t particularly care for.

_‘Great.’_

But maybe day by day it would become bearable. Maybe seeing Roman every day, one of the very few people Virgil could stand so far, would make the time go quicker until he could either take this life that wasn’t meant for him or go back to the one he felt he was meant for; the antisocial kid with two friends.

_‘Maybe these prince lessons will be better than I thought.’_

\-------------------------------

Roman locked his door and let his forehead rest against the wood with a light thump. Curse everything, he was falling for the future prince hard and fast. He thought he’d given himself away with that slip of the tongue in the classroom. Luckily, he didn’t think the boy had noticed.

_‘It’s not bad though right? We’re only 3 years apart in age.’_

No, this couldn’t happen. The boy was to be the future king of Clearice, they would never be allowed to be together. Besides, Virgil didn’t even like him that way.

_‘Virgil is straight, right?’_

Right, he must be and from tomorrow he’d push away any romantic thought for the other.

Because he was ‘The Instructor.’

And that’s all he’d ever be.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this one got a bit angsty. Thank you all so much for your kind messages! Feel free to message me on tumblr! You can find me under the username Meginoi.

As the days slowly turned to weeks, Virgil gradually adjusted to the rigorous curriculum, and new sleep schedule. The long days from six in the morning till eight at night really exhausted him, leaving him crawling into bed at ten instead of the two or three am it had been back home.

But today…today was different.

Virgil lay back in the grass, gazing with wonder at the stars twinkling high above him. Looking at the stars had always calmed his racing mind, allowing him to think about everything that was going on without his adrenaline-fueled mind jumping to the worst possible conclusion and sending him into a panic.

And now, as his first day to relax slowly inched closer as the late night drew into early morning, he had a chance to think about everything that had happened. His friends who had been left behind, the decision he had to make, and the most important thing: Roman.

Roman was a source of conflicting feelings for Virgil. He liked spending time with his instructor, he was one of the very few people who understood Virgil, who didn’t treat him like a child. He would even go as far as to call him a friend. But at the same time, he was there to change him, he was paid to make him something he didn’t want to be, and Virgil couldn’t forget that.

Then there were his friends, who he missed so much it felt physically painful. They had been talking regularly through Skype and text, cheering him on from countries away. Patton and Logan were there for him when times got tough, when everything felt so hopeless all he wanted to do was get on a plane and fly back home, damn the six-month trial. They’d stay up late in their time zone to accommodate his, despite having to get up early in the morning. Virgil couldn’t thank his two friends enough.

Finally, his mind would drift to his decision. It was still months away, but every week drew it closer. His mind was still fully set on leaving at the end of it but there was no doubt his life wouldn’t just go back to the way it was before. He’d always somewhat be in the public eye because of who his mother was, because of who he was. No, his life would never be completely normal again.  
Virgil sighed and let the racing thoughts drift back into the back of his mind, allowing himself to get lost in the stars illuminating the sky.

Roman silently padded down the stairs, making his way to the garden to find Virgil. Unsurprisingly, there were still people working at this late hour. Roman had just been going to bed himself. That is, until he’d spotted a certain teenager lying out on the grass looking up at the stars. It had piqued Roman’s interest, which led him to where he was now; making his way downstairs to question Virgil.

Roman made his way outside, surprised by how warm it still was so late at night. The breeze lightly blew through his hair as he silently made his way over to Virgil, the grass cushioning his footsteps.

“Didn’t take you for the star watching type.”

Virgil bolted upright at the voice, head whipping around to face the speaker. Seeing Roman, Virgil visibly relaxed, his shoulders dropping and head tilting to one side. “What did you take me for?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Someone who stops inside listening to My Chemical Romance all day. Probably has a Tumblr account too.”

“…Maybe,” Virgil mumbled, toying with the slightly frayed sleeve of his hoodie. “But you’re wrong with the Tumblr account…it’s MySpace instead.”

Roman raised an eyebrow in question. “Aren’t you a bit young for MySpace?”

Virgil shrugged. “It’ll bounce back.”

Roman smiled, laughing softly. As Virgil turned to look back to the sky, Roman took chance to study him. The way the moonlight lit up his face as a faint blush graced his cheekbones, giving him a soft look that was a stark contrast to the harsh foundation and eyeshadow Roman had never seen him without before. The way his hands curled around the sleeves of his hoodie, gripping onto it as though it was the only thing keeping him grounded, giving him comfort.

Roman looked away as a blush started to tint his cheeks, trying to admire the stars rather than the boy next to him, pushing away his feelings was proving harder to do than he originally thought.

As the lights in the palace slowly faded one by one, Virgil and Roman remained on the grass, too entranced by the night sky to feel time passing. Eventually, Virgil noticed Roman turn back to face him. He ignored the instructor till he spoke, relishing in those last few seconds of blissful silence.

“So…tell me about your life,” Roman started.

“My life?” Virgil asked, turning to face the other with a questioning look on his face.

“I mean…before all of this.”

“I-I don’t know. It wasn’t very interesting. I’m not very interesting.”

Roman sat up. “I refuse to believe that! From what I’ve seen these past few weeks you are a fascinating individual who has more qualities than he sometimes lets on. Stop putting yourself down, you deserve better from yourself.”

Virgil stared at him with wide-eyes.

_‘How can he care? He barely knows me.’_

He stared at the ground, pulling out blades of grass.

Roman looked away, guilt filling him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anyt-“

“No, no, it’s not that. It’s just…” Virgil sighed. “No one’s ever said something like that to me before.”

“Why not? It’s true,” Roman whispered, looking up and locking eyes with Virgil.  
Verge looked away and cleared his throat. “Can we change the subject? This is getting kinda heavy.”

“Of course! Let’s get back to your old life. Any friends?”

Virgil smiled slightly. “Yeah, two. They’re great.”

“You’re not friends with them anymore are you?” Roman asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, you can have better friends now. Friends with more money, less…common.”

Virgil jumped up and spun to face Roman.

“You think I’m gonna ditch my friends just because they don’t have money? I can’t believe you,” He seethed, anger flaring up at the other’s words.

“Virgil, it’s just common sense-“

“No, it’s not, Roman. It’s called being a dick and if that’s what you’re trying to make me into I want no part in it.”

Virgil turned and started to rush back inside the castle, adrenaline making his steps faster as he fled across the grass.

“Virgil, wait!” Roman shouted, but the other wasn’t there to hear it.

Virgil rushed to his room, his footsteps echoing across the polished floors as he skidded through corridors and ran up staircases. He slammed the door to his room, leaning against it as he tried to calm his racing heart and rising dread in his stomach.

_‘I thought he was my friend. How can he say that?’_

He didn’t know, but his chest was getting tighter by the second and if he didn’t clam his whirlwind of thoughts a panic attack was inevitable.

Breathe in. Four seconds.

Hold. Seven seconds.

Breathe out. Eight seconds.

Good. Again.

Slowly, his breathing slowed and his thoughts regained some form of control. Sighing, he made his way over to the balcony to see if the catalyst of his panic was still sitting out there.

Virgil saw nothing.

Disheartened, he made his way to bed, thinking about Roman’s arrogant comments and if he’d be able to look at his instructor during their next lesson.

_‘How could it all have gone so wrong so quickly?’_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the angst in the last chapter! I hope this makes up for it. Feel free to message me on tumblr! You can find me under the username Meginoi.

Virgil was pulled from the last remnants of sleep by a knock on the door. As his eyes squinted to adjust to the brightness of the room, the knocks continued. The memories of last night rushed back to him in horrifying clarity, he cringed as he remembered Roman’s words. A glance at the bedside clock informed him that it was way too early to be willingly be up on a day he got to rest. He sighed and grumbled to himself as he sleepily stood to answer the incessant knocks. Someone wanted him up and wouldn’t give up until he answered the door.

_‘God, this better be important.’_

Virgil gripped the door handle and flung it open, ready to tear into whoever thought it was a good idea to wake him up at eight in the morning. His glare turned into a wide-eyed, vulnerable stare for a split second as his eyes landed on Roman standing at the door before turning hostile again. Virgil placed a hand on one of the door panels and went to slam it shut. Halfway to the door frame, Roman’s hand flew up and stopped it, leaving it ajar. He didn’t remove his hand, if Virgil managed to get the door shut, Roman feared he wouldn’t open it for a long time.

“I’ve come to apologize,” Roman started, looking guilty.

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“I understand that. But please, give me five minutes to explain and if you still hate me after I’ll resign right away. You never have to see me again.”

Virgil hesitated before silently opening the door. The two made their way to the sofa, looking everywhere but each other. Roman stared at the floor as Virgil’s eyes darted around the room. The silence from the two was deafening, the balcony doors shielding the bedroom from any and all outdoor noises, plunging the room into a death-like silence.

“Well…you have five minutes.”

_‘And it better be the best damn apology I've ever heard.’_

Roman took a deep breath and steeled himself. “Look…I’m not going to say I didn’t mean what I said. But I would never do anything to question the integrity and honor of you or your friends. It came out insensitive and cruel but it wasn’t meant that way.”

Virgil remained impassive, folding his arms. “Then how was it meant? Cause it sounded exactly like that. I trusted you, Roman.”

“I know you did and I know it sounded heinous but all I meant was people with money are better for you. And your friends are across the world, you can’t depend on them all the time like I know you’ve been doing. You can have friends closer to home that can relate to your situation to some degree,” Roman spoke a mile a minute, leaning forward as he explained.

Virgil looked up, locking eyes with the other for the first time since he’d stepped into the room. _‘This place isn’t my home.’_

“But I don’t want new friends. Money never has and never will determine my friends and you need to understand I’m not ditching Patton and Logan for anything. Not you or anyone else.”

“I don’t understand but I will try to and I apologize to the highest degree for upsetting you.”

“If you can try then maybe I can look past it.”

“You forgive me?”

_‘How can I not? You’re the only person here who understands me. Who I thought understood me. I can’t lose that.’_

Virgil let a soft, slightly tentative smile slip onto his face. “Yeah Princey, what you said sucked but I don’t think you meant any harm.” 

Roman’s explosive persona returned with full force. “Well we both have the day off, why don’t we do something together? Go on an adventure! Something that isn’t stuck in a classroom.”

“Um, I was just gonna stay in my room, binge watch Netflix, and pretend the world doesn’t exist.”

“Then we can do that! Unless you want me to go?” 

“No, I’d…like it if you stayed.”

“Well then, what Netflix-based masterpiece did you have in mind?” Roman asked as Virgil pulled up the app on the TV, settling into the couch.

“I’ve been meaning to watch _Doctor Who_. Logan’s been bugging me to watch the new series for ages.”

“What’s _Doctor Who_?”

Virgil stared at him blankly. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Unfortunately, I am not.”

“Princey, you have a lot to learn,” Virgil smirked, relaxing against the cushions as the intro played out on the screen. 

Roman watched with interest, the two falling into a comfortable silence as the episode continued. He was instantly pulled into the show, gasping and laughing at all the right moments. For once, Roman didn’t speak for almost an hour, too entranced by the story playing out in front of him. 

As the TARDIS faded out and the end credits rolled, Roman turned to Virgil with wide eyes, an excited look glistening behind the thinly veiled affection that he pushed down every time he looked at Virgil. 

“We can’t stop there. Play the next episode!” Roman exclaimed.

Virgil chuckled as he selected episode two. “You liked it?”

“I loved it! How have I not seen this before!” 

“I have no idea, Princey.”

As the sun started to set, painting the sky with a gradient of yellows and oranges before it faded to a deep black as the stars spread out across the sky, Virgil and Roman finished the first season. Snack wrappers were scattered around the floor and the couch from the snacks they’d swiped from the kitchens earlier in their marathon. The balcony doors had been opened about midday, letting the cool breeze drift into the now stuffy room but had been closed back up as the breeze strengthened to a strong wind and started to bang the doors annoyingly against the wall. As the credits rolled and the theme song played, Roman stared slack jawed at the screen. 

“What. Was. That?” He asked, turning his shocked expression to face Virgil.

“He regenerated,” Virgil stated, trying to hide his smile when Roman scrunched his face up in confusion.

“He re-what-erated?”

“Regenerated. It’s how time lords survive. So the actors can leave to do other projects but the show can carry on. Another actor will take over the part,” Virgil inwardly cringed at how much he sounded like Logan. Homesickness shot through him at the thought of his friend.

“That’s amazing!” Roman gushed.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

They locked eyes as the silence returned. It was a comfortable silence that neither felt the need to break. Virgil subconsciously shifted in his seat, taking him slightly closer to the instructor. Roman did the same, though less unknowingly, bumping his shoulder with Virgil. Roman grinned, biting his lip as Virgil smiled as the action.  
Virgil looked up and locked eyes with Roman. The other stared back, eyes widening slightly.

Roman stood suddenly, needlessly smoothing out his uniform and turned to face Virgil, a blush evident on his face. “Thank you for today and for introducing me to that masterpiece.”

“Don’t mention it, Princey.” Virgil replied, confusion tinting his voice. He stood and followed Roman to the door.

“We must do this again. It was entertaining.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Goodnight Roman.”

“Goodnight Virgil,” Roman smiled, turning and making his way down the hall. 

Virgil shut the door and made his way to his bed, falling backwards onto the soft sheets. He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. The last few minutes with Roman ran through his mind, thoughts and questions pouring from his brain. He knew there was something in that silence that he’d never sensed before but what it was escaped him. He sighed and rolled over, muffling his frustrated cries with a pillow.

_‘What is going on?’_

Virgil didn’t know, but he was sure he’d find out soon.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Virgil made his way to the classroom, as he did every morning. Early morning sunlight filtered through the floor to ceiling windows from the picturesque gardens, as he made his way along polished floors that reflected the sunlight and made the hallways just that little bit brighter. He felt at peace going to the classes, probably due to the Doctor Who marathon he and Roman had enjoyed yesterday. A day for them both to relax had been long overdue, allowing his mind to switch off for a day and just enjoy a good TV show, and the company of his instructor, even if he did have some skewed views on friends.

As Virgil reached the familiar doors to the classroom, he frowned. Instead of the door being propped open, as usual, it was firmly shut. Confusion clouded his brain as he gripped the door handle and hesitantly stepped into the room. More questions were added to his seemingly ever-growing list as he took in the unusual emptiness of the room. The normal chairs and table had disappeared, along with the projector and smartboard that normally adorned the far wall. Safety mats covered most of the floor, the tacky blue of them disrupting the casual elegance the room usually held.

_‘What the…’_

“Ah. Good morning, Virgil.”

Virgil’s head snapped towards the voice that pierced through his thoughts. Roman had turned at his presence. He’d previously been staring out the window at the forest that was now starting to fade as autumn closed in. Virgil had to consciously fight from keeping his jaw from dropping as he took in Roman’s appearance.

Even when they’d had their Doctor Who marathon or their stargazing session, though the latter time he had been barefoot, Roman had been wearing his uniform. Virgil had never seen his instructor-turned-friend without it. But now he wore casual clothes. Joggers and a Disney shirt seemed to change his character completely. Instead of the professional persona he wore every lesson, the care-free, happy personality, Roman’s true personality, shone brightly today. Anyone who knew him would easily be able to tell. His posture oozed calmness and excitement at the same time, his shoulders relaxed and a bright smile on his face.

_‘Damn, has he always looked this good? How have I never noticed before?’_

“Virgil?” Roman had moved considerable closer, snapping his finger in Virgil’s face to get his attention.

“S-sorry. Just thinking.”

_‘Get it together, Verge.’_

“Any particular thoughts?” Roman chuckled.

“No, just daydreams.”

Roman smiled. Virgil could feel the blush rising quickly on his cheeks at Roman’s proximity, deciding to change the subject before he turned into a tomato.

“So, what’re you gonna bore me with today,” he quipped.

Roman grinned. “Well, today’s lesson,” he walked over to where he’d been standing before, picking up a sword, “is a lot more fun. The best ever you may say!”

Virgil raised his hands in mock fear and surprise. “Woah, I thought we sorted out our differences yesterday, no need to run me through for it!”

“Chill, My Chemical Nightmare, it’s a fencing sword. Close to a rapier if you want to be precise. I can’t hurt you with this even if I tried,” Roman chucked, whipping the fencing sword through the air harmlessly as he twirled the handle around.

“Do you want to hurt me with it, if you could?” Virgil blurted, throwing a hand over his mouth when his brain caught up, eyes going comically wide.

Roman’s expression turned serious. “No. I would never.”

A silence took over the room. Roman tried to push his feelings down again in those moments but had no idea if he was successful.

“Let’s get to work, shall we?” Roman beamed, passing Virgil his own fencing sword.

“Is this really on the curriculum?” Virgil asked, tentatively taking the sword Roman handed him and eyeing it suspiciously at arm’s length.

There was a beat of silence before Roman answered. “I may have taken liberties with our schedule…but this is fun! Just like a hero in a Disney movie when they rescue and win the girl’s heart,” Roman exclaimed, having to fight to hold back a sigh.

“Or guy,” Virgil cut in.

“Or guy, yes…” Roman trailed off, slightly confused. Why would Virgil say that? He was just an inclusionist right? He wasn’t gay?

_‘Maybe I wasn’t as correct as I originally thought.’_

They jumped into the lesson. Virgil moving to stand in front of Roman, as instructed.

“Do you actually know how to swordfight?” Virgil asked, idly swinging the practice sword.

Roman looked offended. “I can’t believe you’d even ask that! Of course I do. I’ll have you know you’re learning from the best.”

Virgil had to bite back a smile at that. “You’re such a dork.”

Yeah, this side of Roman was definitely his favourite.

Roman started off easy, running through how to stand and simple footwork exercises. Virgil didn’t take to it well, easily losing track and falling over his own feet. Roman had chuckled the first few times Virgil had fallen over, helping him up every time, though as Virgil visibly got more and more frustrated, throwing the sword down in anger, Roman’s smile slid off his face as he picked up the other’s sword.

“This is stupid!” Vigil cried, turning to storm away.

“Woah. Verge,” Roman replied, grabbing the other’s wrist. “It’s okay, I’ll help you.”

Virgil sighed and grudgingly nodded. Turning back round, Roman deposited the two swords by the window and gently took Virgil’s hands.

Slowly, Roman ran through the footwork, Virgil trying his best to copy the twists and turns. It took a few attempts, and a fair few curses, but Virgil gradually started to get the hang of it.

“See? You can do it!” Roman grinned.

Virgil smiled, eyes trailing down to their still intertwined fingers. Roman followed Virgil’s gaze and quickly stepped away, turning to grab the swords as a blush grew across his cheeks.

“Can I though? That was just footwork, it was supposed to be easy.”

“Actually, footwork can be one of the most difficult steps to master. You did really well even if your patience ran thin.”

Warmth slowly flooded Virgil’s chest, leaving him feeling oddly accomplished.

_‘That’s...new. I’ve never felt this before. What the hell is wrong with me?’_

He pushed away the odd feeling, gripping the sword that was now back in his hand. “Then let’s do this.”

They jumped into basic fencing tactics, Roman lunged forward and twisted gracefully as he taught Virgil, who could feel the warmth rising again with renewed vigour. Surprisingly, Virgil picked up the moves quickly, learning which moves were attacks and which were defensive.

The sun slowly rose in the sky, as the slight chill in the air flowed into the room through the open windows. Shadows from the trees outside lengthened and twisted as evening approached, lights from inside banishing the eerie specters as they grew.

As Virgil was practicing, Roman observed silently, smirking at what he felt he’d accomplished. Virgil was a lot less awkward and a lot more graceful with a sword in hand. His hoodie had been shed a long time ago, leaving him in a purple long sleeved shirt and skinny jeans.

Roman couldn’t help himself, he lunged forward and gently poked the sword into Virgil’s side. The boy turned to him, his face carrying an offended look.

“Gotcha,” Roman giggled.

“Oh, it’s on, Princey,” Virgil smirked, lunging forward as he’d been taught and poking Roman in retaliation.

“Let’s move on,” Roman started. “To face to face combat.”

Virgil hardly had chance to process Roman’s words before he was deflecting blows, stumbling back as they flew at him with ever increasing speed. He fought against his instructor valiantly, defending himself against Roman’s attacks and gracefully manoeuvring to attack himself. But they both knew he’d never win, not against Roman.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Roman gathered his strength and began a fresh wave of attacks, pushing Virgil back with each blow. Finally, Virgil couldn’t keep up, his sword being flung from his hand as he backed up against the wall, chest heaving and mind whirling.  
Roman advanced forward, a cocky smirk pride of place on his face, chest heaving with as much ferocity as Virgil’s. He was so close Virgil could feel his body heat radiating, making him feel like he was burning up.

“Do you submit?” Roman breathed, leaning in as their noses slightly grazed.

“Y-yes,” Virgil replied, equally as breathless. He leaned up, the gap between them becoming smaller with every second. His lips delicately grazed Roman’s, barely more than a slight touch before Roman jerked away, his sense rushing back to him.

He turned away, eyes wide and heart pounding.

Virgil stayed backed up against the wall, trying to process the last few minutes. “R-roman,” he started.

“I-I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow,” was all Roman said before he rushed out the door.

Virgil couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

_‘What did I do wrong?’_


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got a bit longer than i expected. I also had a bit of trouble with it as the words i wanted didn’t see to want to exist for me.

It quickly got colder as the days passed, times when it would be preferable to stay indoors fast approaching as the days got shorter and the nights got longer. Virgil and Roman both pushed the sword fighting incident to the back of their minds, disregarding the event as showing the other’s lack of feelings. Virgil thought it had been one of the most important moments so far in the months that he’d stayed there, forcing him to realise he was quickly falling for his instructor and there was nothing he could do about it now. They let things die and returned to the schedule they’d been following since Virgil arrived a few months ago.

Which led them to where they were now.

“Do I really have to do this?”

“I’m afraid so, Cordia has been becoming more and more hostile towards us lately and we can’t afford to go to war with our neighbours. We need to unite with them, not fight,” Roman lectured, leaning casually against the wall.

“And how is me doing a stupid speech supposed to fix that?” Virgil pouted, shifting from foot to foot, much to the chagrin of his seamstress that was valiantly trying to fight against his constant fidgeting as she added the final touches to his suit.

Roman sighed and folded his arms. “Because you’re going to formally invite their royalty, their prince, to stay. We’ve been talking to them for a while, they’re jumping at the chance to see Clearice’s royal family, to see you.”

“Who’s been talking to them? Cause I had no idea about any of this,” Virgil spat, turning hostile.

“Your grandmother has been corresponding on your behalf.”

_‘Of course she has.’_

“Just go up there, read the speech and leave. It’s simple enough.”

_‘It’s not though. Not when I can’t even handle being in a crowded room. This is going to be a disaster.’_

The seamstress stepped back, admiring her work before nodded and turning away.

Virgil took that as a cue to leave, stepping down from the block he’d been standing on and adjusting the suit. He couldn’t say he was a fan of it. It wasn’t as comfortable as his hoodie, not in the slightest. It was stiff and constricting, making it so he felt like he couldn’t even move his arms without somehow tearing the fabric. He had no idea how Roman wore one day in, day out. He liked that it was purple though, that looked pretty cool.

Roman ran his eyes over Virgil and smirked, causing Verge to fight not to kiss him there and then.

Roman cleared this throat. “We should get going, we’re on a tight schedule today.”

“Yep, a schedule I never know anything about.” The prince pulled his lips into a trademark snarl before rolling his eyes.

“And isn’t it fantastic! You go into the day never knowing what’s going to meet you, it’s astounding!” Roman gushed as Virgil left to change.

“Sure, Princey. Whatever you say,” Virgil chucked, stepping back out in his usual hoodie and jeans, fighting to keep a smile from appearing on his face.

“C’mon, you’re going to love this lesson. I can just see it!”

Virgil followed Roman through endless passages into a part of the castle he’d never been to before. The opulence and elegance of the decoration became more and more noticeable as they walked towards an unknown destination. The eventually entered into a large foyer from a smaller side door. If Virgil thought what he had seen in the recent hallways was lavish, this was on another level.

The foyer had a large set of oak doors, that looked extremely heavy, at one end, and, gleaming marble at the other, a grand double staircase of white. A great chandelier hung from the ceiling, details of crystal and white gold shone and reflected a rainbow of colours, lighting up the room the way nothing else would ever be able to do. Diamonds and light-coloured gems were encrusted into the structure, adding to its sophistication. Virgil stared up at in in awe.

_‘How have I been here for months without finding any of this?’_

“This is where all the meetings and events happen. All the entertaining stuff. C’mon you haven’t even seen the best part yet,” Roman explained, walking over to a pair of grand double doors and effortlessly throwing them open. He strode through them confidently, leaving Virgil to unwittingly follow.

The room was a vast ballroom. The only furniture it held were padded seats that were placed in the few alcoves that dotted the room. The ground was entirely taken up by polished, hardwood flooring that reflected the natural light flooding in from the giant window at one end of the hall and the balcony, that led to one of the many small gardens, at the other. Three imposing chandeliers occupied the ceiling of the room. They were spread out evenly, one hanging at the end by the window, one in the middle and the final one by the balcony. They dangled precariously, looking both fragile and steady at the same time as they stayed deathly still. They all looked identical to the one in the foyer, modernized to run on electricity while still looking like they held candles. It all looked like something out of a fantasy movie.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Roman gushed, throwing his arms out as he spun around to face Virgil.

“I guess…why are we here, Roman?”

“Because this is where I’m teaching your lesson today.”

“Why would you be…” Virgil trailed off as realisation sunk in. “Oh no. Nope. Nuh-uh. No way am I learning how to dance.”

He turned to walk away.

“Oh, come on, Verge. It’ll be fun!” Roman exclaimed, grabbing the other’s wrist.

“Yeah, just like the sword fighting was supposed to be? Cause that turned out well, didn’t it?” Virgil snapped, yanking his wrist of Roman’s grip and whirling to face him, anger evident in his eyes.

Roman visibly deflated but Virgil couldn’t bring himself to care.

“I’m sorry for that. But this is different. Please, just trust me,” Roman pleaded, holding his hand out towards Virgil.

Virgil sighed but took his hand, being led back out onto the dance floor. Roman threw him a grateful smile as he started to explain. It wasn’t returned.

Roman started his lesson, quickly running through positions and simple steps. Soon enough, he was tentatively putting a hand on Virgil’s waist and showing him how to lead. Virgil picked it up surprisingly quickly, cutting through the air as he led Roman across the dance floor. Their hands were nestled together as they glided across the floor, Virgil too busy focusing on his steps to see the fond look that Roman’s face held. They glided to a halt as Virgil dipped his instructor, quickly stepping away as the dance ended.

“And that’s all the time we have for today,” Roman said as he stepped away.

“R-right. I have to get ready for the speech I guess.”

“Of course. Let’s get going shall we,” Roman smiled and held out his arm for Virgil to take.

Virgil didn’t reply, barging past his instructor. _‘If he thinks he going to trick me again he’s gonna have to try better than that.’_  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
Virgil stood in front of an imposing door in a familiar part of the palace, clad in his purple suit. His dark persona had been forcefully swept away for the occasion, leaving the boy feeling uncomfortable and on-edge. The hum of the photographers and journalists was easily distinguishable from the other side of the door as they impatiently waited for Virgil to make his appearance.

His hands shook violently as he read over the paper he held, trying to calm his racing mind with the words. A weight settled on his shoulder, a weight that was grounding and comforting to him, taking the edge off the senses that were threatening to overwhelm him. He glanced back to see the hand belonged to Roman, who cast him a worried glance.

“Verge, you okay?” He whispered, trying not to garner the attention of Virgil’s mother and grandmother, who stood of to the side aimlessly chatting.

He inhaled deeply. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Well, it’s time to go in. I’ll be right behind this door if anything goes wrong okay?”

Virgil nodded, pushing past his anger at Roman’s actions of a few weeks ago, and placed his hand on top of Roman’s. It lay there for a split second before the doors opened and Virgil was out of Roman’s grasp.

_‘Here we go.’_

The photographers and journalists turned to face him as he walked silently to the podium, their buzz fading into excited silence. Cameras through the room were turned to him.

Virgil exuded a calm persona, while on the inside he was anything but. His eyes locked on a spot at the back of the room, detailing the way the marble looked both cracked and pristine at the same time.

The click of a camera snapped him back into the room, the press staring at him expectantly. He looked down to the paper, trying to block out their presence.

“I stand before you today,” his voice shook as he spoke, “to extend an invitation to Prince Thomas of the royal family of the country of Cordia to visit.”  
  
He inhaled shakily, his shaking hands making it impossible to read the next words. He placed it on the podium and looked up.

That was his mistake. The sight made his throat close up, red-hot panic rushing through him.

_‘Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.’_

“I-uh- extend this i-invitation in the hope o-of bringing peace to our t-two nations so t-that we m-may work tog-gether instead of against e-each other.”

The sentences merged together on the paper, making Virgil panic even more. There was no way he could read any more of it. He needed to get out of there. Now.

He blurted out a shaky “T-thank you,” before bolting from the stage, ignoring the journalists barrage of questions.

He slowed to a stop on the other side of the door, coming face to face with his grandmother and mother’s horrified faces. “What’re you doing? Get back out there, you’re not done!” His grandmother exclaimed.

“Verge, honey. What wrong?” his mother asked, a more concerned tone in her words.

Virgil’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. He turned and ran down the corridor, pure, unadulterated fear coursing through him, ignoring the cries of the others.

Roman looked on with great concern, cutting through the queen’s cries. “It’s okay, your majesty. I’ll go after him.”

He took off running down the hall, heading to the only place he would expect Virgil to go.

Roman stepped out into the garden, walking quickly along the paths to the point where they’d stargazed. The breeze ripped through his suit, making him shiver as he walked. He spotted the figure sitting against an oak tree just a few steps ahead. The mix of the sun setting and the darkness of his suit made it seem like he was made of shadows, a term Roman would likely have used to describe Virgil when they first met.

But not now.

He silently made his way over. The closer he got, the more in distress Virgil seemed to be. His hand were tightly gripping strands of his hair, his knees were drawn up to his chest and his breaths were even more rapid than when he’d burst out of the media room. Roman’s heart broke at the sight.

“Virgil?” He started, being careful to not overwhelm or scare him.

Virgil jumped, whipping his torso around to face the speaker. There were tear tracks marking his face, his eyes red and puffy from both the tears that had already fell and the ones that were still falling.

“It’s okay I’m not gonna make you go back,” he started, slowly sitting down next to Virgil. “Can I touch you?”  
Virgil hesitated for a second but nodded. A jacket was placed over his shoulder before an arm wrapped around him. Virgil turned to face his instructor, gripping the white fabric and burying his face into the other’s shoulder as sobs racked his body.

Roman ran a hand up and down his back soothingly, whispering words of comfort into his ear. They stayed like that until the sun had fully set, Virgil’s sobs trailing off into quiet hitches of breath and then nothing.

Virgil pulled away, wiping his eyes. They felt tight and exhausted from all the tears. “Thank you, for coming after me,” he whispered, voice raw and unsure.

Roman shook his head. “I needed to make sure you were okay. We shouldn’t have made you do that, not if this is what it causes.”

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have,” Virgil started, a sharp tone slicing through the air before softening again.

“But you were only doing your job. There are people to blame but it isn’t you this time.”

Roman smiled. “Thank you for understanding.”

Virgil shrugged. “It’s whatever.”

“We should get back to the castle, it’s cold out here,” Roman stood, turning to offer Virgil his hand.

Verge smiled and took it. “Do you want your jacket back? You’ll be pretty chilly without it,” Virgil moved to take it from where it hung on his shoulders.

“Keep it. I’ll be fine,” Roman interjected.

A blush coloured Virgil’s cheeks, but he didn’t comment, just slipped his arms into the jacket.

“Well, shall we?” Roman asked, offering his arm to Virgil for the second time that day.

This time, Virgil took it.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh chapter 8 is finally here! I’m so excited for this one!  
> Thank you to mylasagnaisraw, gaysonofjafar and ilovemyspoopydad on tumblr for beta-ing this chapter for me! You’re all amazing!

As Halloween neared, Thomas arrived. Virgil watched the car roll to a halt, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Raindrops slowly rolled down the window, mirroring how Virgil felt. The run-up to Thomas’ arrival had been nothing short of hell. He’d been thrown into non-stop lessons on etiquette, greetings and other sorts of bullshit. It had exhausted both Virgil and Roman, leaving them with little time to do anything but work.

_‘All this for a stupid, stuck up prince.’_

The sound of a door creaking open reached his ears. Shoulders tensing up in apprehension, he glanced over his shoulder to see Roman silently closing the door. He sighed, muscles easing up at the familiar face.

“C’mon. It’s time to go down,” was all Roman said. Nothing he could say would make it easier for Virgil. He knew meeting people was hard for the prince but it was part of the job description, it had to be done.

Virgil sighed and followed Roman to the gate where he himself had first arrived many months ago. Unsurprisingly, he hadn’t left the property since he’d arrived. His ever-present fear of photographers keeping him happily confined within the palace.

The black car he saw from the window sat there, droplets of rain rolling down the polished metal and glass.

Roman gazed fondly at the slightly shaking Virgil and leaned over. “You’re gonna be fine,” he whispered. Virgil answered with an unsure nod and a shaky breath.  
Roman placed his hand on the small of Virgil’s back and gave him a gentle push, sending him forward a few steps.

Shooting a trademark glare over his shoulder, Virgil tuned to face the car. His heart rate skyrocketed as a butler stepped forward to open the door. Meeting people had never been his forte.

A man, who he could only guess to be Thomas, stepped out. He looked around with awe-struck eyes, scanning the entrance before his gaze landed on Virgil. He steeled himself for the snarky remark he expected to cut through the air.

_‘Here we go. What’s it gonna be first? My clothes, my hair, my makeup?’_

But it never came.

“Virgil, so nice to meet you!” Thomas grinned, offering his hand.

“Uh…you too,” Virgil faltered, awkwardly accepting the handshake. He didn’t expect Thomas to be this…friendly. “This is Roman, he’s my…instructor.”

The two shared a polite nod.

“Oh, right. You’re still going through training, aren’t you? Tell me, is it as boring as I remember?”

Virgil relaxed at that. _‘Finally, someone who agrees.’_

“Yeah, it’s like watching paint dry,” Virgil laughed, catching Roman’s eye. He discreetly stuck his tongue out at the instructor as they made their way through the palace. Roman smirked but didn’t say anything.

“Why don’t we walk through the gardens? Roman, can I steal Virgil for a while?” Thomas asked, turning to the instructor.

“Of course, your highness-” Roman bowed slightly, throwing a concerned look Virgil’s way.

The prince caught the eye contact, throwing his instructor a slight nod and small smile, a silent confirmation.

_‘I’ll be fine.’_

The two royals turned and made their way towards a balcony that framed the double doors at the end of the hall. The metal railings outside closed off the balcony, reflecting the cold, October sunlight off the surface. Virgil opened the small gate to the path and hopped down the few steps, waiting for Thomas at the bottom.

They walked in silence for a while, admiring the few orange leaves that still valiantly clung to the bare branches of the trees after the rest had fallen, creating a blanket of darkening leaves on the path that crunched underfoot. Some leaves had blown away from a particularly strong breeze, scattering across the grass and gravel paths.

“So,” Thomas started, “you and Roman huh?”

Virgil turned to face him with wide eyes. “What? N-no. Why the hell would you think that?!”

Thomas shrugged. “You don’t have to play dumb around me. I won’t tell anyone.”

“W-we’re not together though. He doesn’t even like me that way. He’s paid to care.”

“That look he gave you,” Thomas shook his head and laughed, “that wasn’t fake. He cares about you. A lot. I’ve barely been here an hour and I can already tell! He’s head over heels for you.”

Virgil blushed and stared at the ground, trying to process his barrage of emotions. “Oh my god,” he whispered, more to himself than to Thomas.

“But the question is… do you like him back?” Thomas continued, pausing as he turned to Virgil halfway over the small bridge.

“What? N-no,” he stuttered, anxiously scratching the back of his neck.

Thomas’ face lit up like a Christmas Tree. “You do, don’t you!”

“Keep your voice down!” Virgil hissed, “okay maybe I do but nothing can ever come of it.”

Thomas smirked. “Leave it to me. I have a plan.”

“Thomas, no! You can’t tell anyone, especially Roman,” Virgil exclaimed.  
“Trust me! I know what I’m doing.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Yeah, like I’m really gonna trust a random prince I’ve only just met.”  
“Then allow me to show you that you can trust me. I was in your position. I know how you feel. You want to be with Roman, right?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then go to that balcony on the night of the party. Don’t ask me why, just be there.”

Virgil sighed, giving in to Thomas’ plan. “Fine. But if it goes wrong I’m blaming you.”

“Deal,” Thomas grinned.

Roman watched from inside the palace, tears filling his eyes as he watched the interaction that was silent to him. Virgil’s face said it all, the blushes and wide eyes confirming the suspicions he’d had since Thomas asked for ‘alone time.’

 _‘I’ve lost him. haven’t I?’_  
\-------------------------------------------------------  
Virgil stood on the balcony, pulling his suit jacket tight around his form in an attempt to block out the cool breeze that cut through the constricting fabric like a knife. The sun had set a long time ago, the soft glow of the outdoor lamps, along with the light flooding from the palace rooms lighting up the serene garden. The silence gave it a tranquil feel, as if it were his own little piece of heaven that only he could enter.

Only it couldn’t be heaven, Roman wasn’t there, and he felt anything but peaceful.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen his instructor in two days, asking one of the butlers to inform Virgil that their lessons had been cancelled until further notice. He was still clueless as to why, giving the prince a feeling that Roman was purposely avoiding him.

The prince shifted from foot to foot impatiently.

_‘Where the hell is Thomas?’_

The music signaling Thomas’ departure distantly pulsed through the building, the beat sending slight vibrations through his chest. He’d looked for Roman at the gathering but he was nowhere to be found, just giving Virgil more proof that he was avoiding him. Thomas had been easy to find, throwing him a knowing look as they passed.

Footsteps reached his ears from where he sat, hidden from anyone walking onto the balcony.

_‘Finally. Thomas better have a good reason for being so- ‘_

Except it wasn’t Thomas who walked out.

It was Roman.

Virgil subconsciously stood, staying in the shadows.

Roman looked around, as though looking for something, looking for someone.

“Roman?” Virgil asked, stepping into the doorway.

Roman spun around, surprise etched onto his features. “V-Virgil!” He exclaimed. “What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to be at the party.”

“I was told to be here. Why are you here?”

Roman open and closed his mouth, looking fruitlessly for an answer. “I think there’s been some mistake. I should go.”

“No! You’ve been avoiding me for the past two days and I want to know why!” Virgil seethed, blocking Roman’s path back inside.

“I was told to be here! Thomas told me he’d-“

Virgil cut him off. “Thomas told you? He told me too!”

Roman paled. “Oh no. Just forget it Verge. Just… go back inside. Please.” He made his way out into the garden, finding another entrance back into the palace.

Virgil stubbornly followed him. “No, you’re not running away from me again. What did I ever do to you? Do you really hate me that much, Roman?”

Roman stopped and turned back to face Virgil. “I don’t hate you; I could never hate you. You’re with Thomas, and I thought you’d want some time with him. That’s why I cancelled the lessons,” Roman replied. It was only partially true, Roman had also spent those two days wallowing in self-pity.

“I’m not with Thomas! That’s ridiculous, Roman. I was out here with Thomas because…” Virgil trailed off, realizing what he was about to say.

“Because?” Roman repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Virgil steeled himself, taking a deep breath. He looked up, eyes locking with Roman’s. “Can I show you instead?”

“Show me? What do you-“ He was cut off by soft lips meeting his own, causing him to stumble backwards in shock. As his back collided with a tree, Virgil confidently surged forward after him, keeping their kiss going. Roman sighed against the other, slowly relaxing and melting into Virgil, hands resting on his waist. The prince smiled against Roman’s mouth, his hand finding it’s way to Roman’s cheek, gently caressing the soft skin it found there.

Virgil was the first to pull away, looking up at Roman hesitantly.

Roman stared back, completely awestruck at the way Virgil looked with recently kissed lips and euphoria dancing in his eyes. He hadn’t stuck around long enough to see it the time he’d kissed him in the classroom but damn, if it wasn’t a sight he could get used to.

“Please don’t run away from me again,” Virgil whispered.

“No,” Roman breathed. “Never again.” He leaned back in for another kiss.

Virgil smiled and closed the gap, pressing them back together.

And there, under the stars, they both felt content.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got so long, i’m so sorry! Also, don’t judge me, i wanted a festive chapter, even though it’s September. Thank you to @ilovemyspoopydad, @gaysonofjafar and @mylasagnaisraw on tumblr for beta-ing this chapter, you’re my saviors. Also, thank you for all the lovely comments you leave on the chapters, reading them makes my day!

Roman thought Virgil reminded him of autumn. Of hot chocolate on a gradually darkening evening and caramel coloured leaves that would twirl and tumble as they fell from the trees. When they were together, the world fell away, the rooms figuratively crumbling into nothing more than dust around them. They were made up of gentle kisses before they separated for the night, arms wrapping around waists, fingers running through soft hair. Yeah, Roman wouldn’t trade what they had for all the world’s riches.

Virgil thought Roman reminded him of summer. Going out and having adventures with friends, the relaxed lethargy that a summer day brought.  The times when nights became shorter, days got hotter and everything was more vibrant. That seemed like the perfect word to describe Roman. Vibrant. But Virgil liked it. It offset his own…cooler personality, making him feel warmer. Making him feel safe.

As the first flurries of snow settled on the run up to Christmas, everything reverted from barely organised chaos to blissful silence. Virgil stood on the steps as Thomas’ car pulled away. A soft smile had settled onto his face, happy to be left alone again but also grateful at what the prince had done for him and Roman. The two princes had become good friends over the time Thomas had been there, understanding each other’s plight in ways other people couldn’t, giving each other support in ways others wouldn’t understand. Even Roman wouldn’t understand.

He turned back to face Roman, smirking when he saw the fond smile on the other’s face.

Roman motioned to the hallway, turning and leaving Virgil to quickly follow, almost bouncing from step to step. They hurriedly made their way through the hallways, warmth seeping back into their bones while walking quickly to the classroom.

They arrived faster than usual, eagerly awaiting some alone time. The first time they’d managed to be alone since Thomas’ arrival almost a month ago. Roman held the door open for Virgil before stepping inside and pulling it closed.

Virgil strode across the room, admiring the snowflakes with wonder as they whirled through the air and gently settled on the ice-tipped grass from one of the windows lining the far wall. Arms circled around his waist and a comforting weight rested on his shoulder. Virgil leaned back into the warmth, sighing and smiling slightly.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen it before.”

Roman pulled away, shocked. “What do you mean? You’ve never seen snow before?!”

“Is that a bad thing? I mean, where I live it’s too humid for snow,” Virgil shrugged, intertwining his fingers with Roman’s.

“No, of course it’s not bad. Actually, I’m excited I get to share this experience with you!”

Virgil stifled a laugh. “You’re such a dork.”

“I know. It’s part of my charm,” Roman grinned.

They settled into a comfortable silence, curling up next to the window in padded armchairs. Neither of them felt compelled to fill the silence, it gave them time to think, something they’d both had very little of recently.

Roman was the first to speak. “Has your mother spoken to you yet?”

Virgil turned to face Roman. “About what?” he asked, a sceptical tone tinting his voice. “You know I avoid her, that leech you call the queen is always clinging to her.”

“I’m going to ignore that comment, and about the chalet,” Roman continued.

“Ro, I think it’s pretty obvious I don’t know what you’re talking about. What chalet?”

“There’s this villa in the country the royal family goes to every year for Christmas. They’ve asked me to accompany you if I can. I wanted to ask you before I gave my answer. Do you want me there?”

Virgil’s face softened. “Ro, of course I want you there. I’d go mad trapped with _her_ for god knows how long.”

“That’s what I hoped you’d say! Especially as we leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow! You didn’t think to tell me sooner?!” Virgil exclaimed.

“I wanted to wait until after Thomas left! Besides, it’s not like you can get out of going, you’re the prince after all.”

Virgil cocked his head and smirked.

_‘He’s never called me prince before. Do I even want him to?’_

Roman glanced at him. “What? Why’re you looking like that?”

“You’ve never called me prince before. I thought I was ‘prince in training’” Virgil teased, adding finger quotes for effect.

“You can be both,” Roman grinned.

“Touché.”

“So, I’ll meet you there tomorrow?” Roman asked.

“Meet me there? Aren’t we travelling together?”

“It’s…not appropriate for a prince to be travelling with staff.”

Virgil stood. “That’s bullshit! You’re travelling with me. If anyone asks why you’re my tutor and that’s the end of it.”

Roman let out a light-hearted laugh. “Okay, okay. I understand,” he paused for a moment, catching Virgil’s eye “you’re cute when you’re mad.”

Virgil smirked, biting his lip as a blush tinting his cheeks. “Shut up.”

A swift knock at the door dragged Virgil from his sleep. A glance at the clock caused him to groan.

_‘Why would anyone need to be up at six am?’_

He clumsily rolled out of bed, yanking the door open with a piercing glare. Roman stood there, a reminiscence of when he’d stood in that same spot to apologize all those weeks ago, a lot had changed.

“Good morning!” Roman smiled, looking a lot perkier than Virgil felt. 

“The morning isn’t good if you have to be up at 6am.”

“C’mon, we’re getting out of this palace. You should be excited!”

Vigil sighed. “I am excited to get out of here. I just don’t see why we have to go at six in the morning.”

“The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll get there, and believe me, you’ll love it. Now come on, we’re leaving soon,” Roman exclaimed, stepping into the room and closing the door.

Virgil rolled his eyes and sleepily stumbled around the room, grabbing the duffel bag he’d packed the night before, placing it by the door and quickly moving to the bathroom to dress, away from Roman’s prying eyes

He left the bathroom, noticing Roman, who was still waiting by the door, now with Virgil’s bag in hand. The sun had started to rise now, banishing the darkness and reviving a world full of colour. The light slowly started to filter into the room, and bathed parts of the room in a soft glow. The tip of the sun peeked over the horizon, giving the feeling of a world coming to life but that hadn’t fully woken yet. Snow slowly fell from the sky; the light dusting of white coated the frost-tipped grass as it had been doing since the evening before.

_‘A change will be nice…but I’m gonna miss this place. It’s…familiarity.’_

“Ready to go?” Roman asked, breaking into his thoughts.

“Sure-” Virgil shrugged, reaching for the handle. Roman’s hand whipped out in front of his own.

“Verge, you’re gonna love it. I promise.” Roman leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss, which Virgil gladly returned.  “Now,” he opened the door, “shall we go?”

Virgil smirked and left the room, Roman quickly following. “Y’know I can carry my own bag. You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s still my job, Virgil. Let me do this.”

Virgil shrugged, but didn’t push.

The light in the hallways didn’t differ much from his room. The soft lighting gave the castle a gentle feel. Most of the staff were just beginning to rise for the day and this part of the castle was blissfully empty. The light flooded over them in intervals as they walked, lighting them up for a second or two as they passed a window before dimming again, slyly hiding the details that could only be seen in the light.

Two cars sat at the gate, their drivers standing nearby. Roman handed Virgil’s bag over and ushered him into the car.

_‘I thought we were all travelling together. Why are there two cars?’_

“The queen and your mother are in the car in front. Your grandmother accepted my request of a separate car extremely quickly, it was a bit unsettling. I did it on your behalf, of course,” Roman explained, practically reading the other’s mind.

“Damn, you really know me too well, Roman-” Virgil smirked, glancing out the tinted window as the car roared into life and started to inch forward, following the identical car in front. The snow had been cleared in the private yard, though it was quickly being covered again as more flurries reached the ground. The cars drove down the cleared path, through the gates and out of the property.

Virgil almost audibly sighed as he watched the palace grow smaller as they drove away, eventually fading into nothing as they turned a corner. He shifted in his seat and sunk down, pulling out headphones from his backpack and tuning out the world around him.

Roman didn’t mind, understanding that even though they were in a private setting there was still the risk of the driver seeing any affection they dared to show each other. So instead, he admired the view as they made their way towards the snow-tipped mountains in the distance.

They crawled through the early morning traffic that was just starting to build up and were soon leaving behind the smoke and mirrors of the city, flying past picturesque fields that were blankets of white, blending with the off-white sky. The countryside roads twisted and turned, the roar of the engine the only sound as they rocketed past before the landscape was plunged back into lifeless silence.

As the hours crawled by, fields and farms gave way to snow-covered mountains and small, quaint towns. The chalet appeared out of nowhere. As the car navigated the snow-free mountain roads it slowed, turning and driving through a pair of wrought-iron gates. Virgil was shaken out of his stupor that had settled around his mind during the drive by Roman. He sighed and sat up, shaking and stretching the stiffness out of his muscles. Only then did he take in the chalet outside of the car window.

It looked classic and timeless with a modern feel, made from wood with floor to ceiling windows. Balconies jutted out from a number of different rooms on each of the 3 floors. It clearly wasn’t made to hold many staff, giving up the space for a cosy, more homely feel. Yeah, Virgil definitely preferred it to the palace.

The car door was yanked open by the driver. Virgil slid out of the sleek vehicle and scowled, feeling snow instantly start to freeze his feet.

_‘Maybe today wasn’t the best day to wear sneakers.’_

Virgil went to grab his bag only to have his hand pushed away by Roman, who grabbed both his own and Virgil’s, before following his instructor inside.

The interior of the chalet was as impressive as the outside of the building. The hallway they walked into had a classic, wooden interior with timber beams that stretched across the roof. Along the corridor sat a number of doors, what Virgil guessed were the rooms for the few staff who stayed there. They climbed at stairs at the end of the corridor, wood panels isolating it either side. Another hallway greeted the two, the panelling that had started on the stairs carrying along the passageway. The corridor was narrow compared to the wide hallways of the palace though they didn’t feel claustrophobic.

The staircase started again, the polished wood reflecting the artificial lights overhead. The banister followed it in a square shape as they gave access to the top floor of the building. The stairs creaked and groaned under the weight of the two as they climbed to the third and uppermost floor. This one had a distinct lack of windows, a skylight being the main source of light. One of the two doors on the left sat open, widely distanced from the other.

Virgil looked back at Roman, who smiled and motioned to the open door. He sighed and walked into the room. His jaw physically dropped at the sight.

The first thing he noticed in the room was the windows that looked over the town in the valley below, framed by the mountains. A seating area circled around a fireplace and coffee table sat at the far end of the room with a flat screen tv mounted to the wall above. An electric chandelier hung from the ceiling, the bright silver of it setting of the blue and white interior. A double four poster bed faced the windows, the white curtains framed the blue duvet, the sky-blue of it setting off the dark blue and silver of the pillows.

It reminded him of Patton, matching his colour scheme and personality perfectly, sending a shot of home-sickness through his heart.

_‘This is much better than the castle.’_

“You like it?” Roman asked, stepping in and closing the door.

“It’s...actually a lot better than I expected,” Virgil smiled, staring in awe as he fell back onto the bed

 “I knew you’d love it!” Roman grinned, dropping down next to Virgil.

“I do have a question though, if it’s okay to ask,” he started, sitting back up.

“Of course, if I can answer it I will.”

Virgil sighed and intertwined his fingers in his lap. “Well, I was just wondering…you live at the palace all year round, right? Don’t you have a family you’d want to spend time with at Christmas?”

Roman’s face dropped. He stared at the floor, a haunted look appearing in his eyes. “My family life is not a happy one. Still, if you do want to know I see no problem in telling you.”

Virgil just nodded, not really knowing what to say.

Roman sighed, closed his eyes and breathed deeply before starting. “I was orphaned as a baby. From what I’ve been told, my parents and sister died in a house fire, but somehow, I survived. I lived in an orphanage until I was 18, I had no relatives to take me in. As soon as I could leave I got a job in the royal household, washing dishes. I quickly worked my way up through the ranks by working day and night. Then suddenly, I was offered the position of personal assistant to the mysterious secret prince,” he glanced at Virgil, gauging his reaction.

“Oh Ro, I’m really sorry,” Virgil whispered, using his hoodie sleeve to wipe away the tears before they fell. He took Roman’s hand and intertwined their fingers.

“You don’t need to apologize, it was a long time ago. I miss them every day but it led to me meeting you, which I wouldn’t trade for the world.” Roman said, leaning over and giving Vigil a gentle kiss.

As the days till Christmas counted down, Virgil and Roman barely left each other’s sides. In the relaxed setting, Virgil convinced his mother to have Roman at the table, stating he was like family now, which, Virgil would admit, wasn’t entirely untrue.

On Christmas Eve, Virgil woke with an excitement he hadn’t felt since he was a child. He just wished he’d told Roman that Christmas Eve was also kind of a special day. The snow that had been steadily falling for the past few days had increased into a frenzy, snowflakes whipping through the air before settling, obscuring the town below from view.

_‘Yeah, snow definitely makes Christmas a lot more magical.’_

He padded down the stairs and into the dining room. The table overlooked the gardens and the mountains behind it, not much was visible beyond that.

Everyone else was already seated, digging into the buffet that was spread across the table. Roman had ditched his uniform, choosing to wear a shirt and jeans instead.

“Virgil, happy birthday!” his mother exclaimed, stand to wrap him up in a tight embrace.

“Thanks, mom,” he replied, catching Roman’s confused expression from the corner of his eye.

“Yes, Virgil. I suppose I should extend a birthday wish towards you. Now you are an adult and can make your own decisions. You can legally take the throne,” the queen embellished, brandishing her fork as she spoke.

Virgil rolled his eyes, but thanked her anyway, an argument on Christmas Eve wasn’t what he was looking for. He took his place at the table next to Roman and started to load up his plate.

“You didn’t tell me your birthday was on Christmas Eve, I would have got you something,” Roman whispered, leaning over towards Virgil.

“It just never came up, it’s not a big deal,” Virgil shrugged, not taking his eyes off the table.

Roman didn’t reply, returning to his breakfast as a plan formed in his mind.

They spent the rest of the day together, baking mince pies, sausage rolls and enough cupcakes to feed an army. Christmas movies played from the tv in the background as they baked and got into more than one food fight, leaving them covered in flour and icing but giggling and happy nonetheless.

They fell onto one of the sofas in Virgil’s room, exhausted after the long but satisfying day. The snow had calmed down, falling silently from the darkening sky. The sun was on the brink of setting, it would be gone within the hour and replaced with a midnight sky full of glistening stars. The town below was starting to light up, lights from houses and lamp posts casting a golden glow as they seemingly glittered and twinkled from a distance, making it as though they were looking down on a town straight out of a fairy tale.

“I have something for you,” Roman started, keeping his hands firmly hidden behind his back. “This was supposed to be for tomorrow but I thought I’d give it to you now, especially since it’s your birthday. It feels right, since I didn’t get you a birthday present.”

“Roman, you didn’t have to get me anything. I have my birthday presents on Christmas anyway. You really didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I wanted to do it, V. It was my pleasure,” Roman smiled.

Virgil smiled and tilted his head. “You’ve never called me V before. Makes me sound like a supervillain.”

“Well that’s because you’re super to me,” Roman grinned, pulling the package out from behind his back. 

“You’re such a sap,” Virgil laughed, raising a hand to cover his mouth.

“Here, open your gift,” he stated, pushing the present into Virgil’s hands. It felt soft, pliable and was wrapped in red paper with a bright, white bow.

Virgil smiled down at it and carefully unwrapped the bow before pulling away the paper. His jaw dropped as he picked up and unfolded the black fabric. A back hoodie unfolded before him, purple patches were sewn into it in several places with white thread and a logo of a lightning strike sat where his heart would be.

“I saw your old hoodie was looking a bit threadbare. I thought this would be a good fit. Do you like it?”

“Roman, I love it. Thank you so much,” Virgil smiled, leaning forward and hugging Roman. Warm arms wrapped his waist, pulling him close.

As Virgil pulled away, something was being held above them. His eyes widened as he realised what it was.

_‘Mistletoe.’_

“Merry Christmas, Virgil,” Roman smiled, leaning forward.

“Merry Christmas, you dork,” Virgil grinned, gripping Roman’s shirt and pulling him into a kiss.

And at that moment, everything was perfect.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, we’re on the home stretch now! Thank you to ilovemyspoopydad and mylasagnaisraw on tumblr, you’re both sensational with your editing! Thank you to everyone who commented lovely messages on the last chapter, they inspire me to write!

As the snow began to melt away the magic of the holidays, the royal family packed up and headed back to the castle, leaving the chalet for another year. Virgil pulled the new hoodie tight around himself, his old hoodie packed neatly into a bag.

Virgil’s stomach dropped as they drove away from the mountains, with each second they get closer to the castle making it worse. The time Virgil and Roman had spent together was pure bliss. The professional façade that was now painfully obvious to both of them had been stripped away, leaving them to fully be themselves instead of trying to mask the barely contained affection.

But now they were back in the car, making their way through the outer neighbourhoods of the main city as the sun rose high in the sky. The snow had melted here weeks ago, spring breaking through the ice and bitter winds. The trees were starting to get their leaves back, bringing a shot of colour back to a world that had been ruled by bright white and dull grey.

The sight of the palace was as imposing as he remembered. It made Virgil’s stomach lurch, knowing the decision that would be thrust upon him as soon as he stepped back into the building. His decision was today: stay or leave?

And he had no idea what to do.

Leave the palace and leave Roman behind as well. Stay and take on responsibilities he didn’t feel ready to have but still have Roman there.

There was a suffocating tension filling the air of the car, making his chest feel tight and his heart quicken its pace.

The car slowed to a stop as the gates behind them slammed shut, making Virgil feel like a bird trapped back in its gilded cage.

His footsteps clicked across the tiles, echoing in the silent halls. There were no staff to be found, an odd occurrence at midday, when the castle would be most active. Roman walked beside him, looking as dragged down by the decision as he felt. They were jumping into this straight away, it seemed.

Roman felt more confident than he seemed, trusting Virgil to do the right thing and stay. He threw open the door to the classroom and stepped inside. He threw Virgil a calming smile as he walked past, looking nervous and jittery.

They fell into the armchairs that had been moved from where they’d last placed them by the window. When everything had been easier and the decision hadn’t seemed so threatening and foreboding. Virgil hid his face in the sleeves of his hoodie.

“So,” Roman started, intertwining his fingers, “today’s the day! Have you made a decision?”

“Well…I think so.”

“You’re staying, aren’t you? Oh, V, that’s just fantastic!” Roman exclaimed, standing and clasping his hands together.

“No…I’m leaving,” Virgil whispered, loud enough for Roman to hear.

The room was plunged into a deathly silence.  

“W-what?” Roman asked, smile sliding off his face, his legs gave out, making him ease back down into the armchair.

Virgil uncovered his face, twisting the sleeves back and forth in his hands. His eyes stayed glued to his lap, refusing to meet Roman confused and broken gaze. “I-I want to do this with you at my side. But the country deserves somebody better, someone who can actually do a good job.”

“What do you mean? You were born for this, Virgil! It’s in your blood to be a leader,” Roman replied, leaning forward in his seat.

“No it’s not! I’ve never been a leader,” Virgil snapped, cutting a glare Roman’s way.

Roman sat back, hurt and upset. “You’re going to leave me? Leave everything we’ve become these past few months. We can make you a leader, work with me here.”

Virgil turned to face the other. “I don’t have to leave you. Come with me.”

“Virgil, you know I can’t do that.”

“Why not? Because  _she_  told you so?”

“Because this is my life! It has been for three years. They took a chance with hiring me, an orphaned 18-year-old boy, in the first place! I can’t repay that by just absconding! Not even for you,” Roman cried, looking up to meet Virgil’s gaze.

“Fine then. I guess this is goodbye,” Virgil whispered, blinking away tears. He stood and made his way over to the doors, the creak of the floorboard trying and failing to ease the tension. “But know this Roman,” Virgil turned back to face him, “I think we could have been great together. We could have been happy.”

“Virgil, wait!”

Virgil turned and slammed the door.

Roman let a soft sob escape, clutching his head in his hands.

_‘Oh god. What have I done?’_

——————————————

Virgil ran. His footsteps echoing against the tiles. The tears that were forming in his eyes were now freely running down his face, ruining and marring his makeup and sending black streaks down his face.

Virgil slammed the bedroom door, stumbling a few steps forwards before sinking to the floor. His arms wrapped around his knees, pulling them up close to his body. His head fell forward against them, the intensity of the sobs wracking his body. He let the sound of his heartbreak fill the empty room, giving it a solemn air.

_‘I just want to go home.’_

As the last rays of sunlight withdrew, allowing the moon to cast a silver light, a soft knock sounded at Virgil’s door. His sobs had died off into small sniffles hours ago, the only evidence of them now was the redness of his eyes and his solemn demeanour.

“Virgil, honey, are you okay?” His mother’s voice drifted to his ears.

He sighed and stood, shakily making his way to the door. He hastily scrubbed at his eyes before opening the door. “I’m fine, just feeling a bit homesick.”

“Roman told us your decision. He didn’t seem happy. Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Virgil hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding.

“Yes. I never wanted to do this. Please, can we just go home?”

There was a moment of silence. “Okay, honey. If that’s what you want. We’ll leave in the morning,” she sighed. It was obvious she didn’t want to leave.

“Thanks, mom. Night,” he replied, closing the door.

“Goodnight, honey,” she called through the door. The sound of her footsteps faded away.

Virgil sighed, throwing the few belongings he’d bought along back into the bag he’d originally bought. He didn’t feel as excited as he’d expected at leaving. He expected to feel more…relieved that it was over instead of this…disappointment? Was that the right word? He turned, ready to throw his old hoodie into the bag. Hesitating, he gripped the oversized jacket in his hand. Worries and uncertainties tumbled through his brain.

Virgil shrugged the other jacket off, the purple one that Roman had given him for Christmas, gripping it in his other hand. He glanced between the two before placing the patchwork hoodie over the back of the sofa and shrugging his old one over his shoulders.

_‘Roman probably doesn’t want me to have it now. Taking it would probably just made it worse, anyway.’_

——————————————

The dawn of the next day came far too quickly. As the sun fully rose over the horizon, the sky turned a baby blue.

Roman watched solemnly from the window as the car, that Virgil had climbed into, drove away. It cruised out of the yard and onto the road, disappearing from sight. Roman’s gaze dropped to the windowsill, trying to will the tears away.

He sighed and made his way to what was Virgil’s room, entering for the first ever time without knocking. He looked over the furnishings, taking in the silence that had settled. It wasn’t right. Every time he’d been in here there had been some kind of sound, whether it was tinny music playing from Virgil’s phone, the quality of the speaker somewhat killing the heavy bass of the songs, or it was just the droning sounds of the TV playing in the background. It made the unnatural silence disconcerting.

Roman’s gaze dropped to the fabric that stood out on the back of the couch. Frowning, he made his way over and picked it up. The sight of the hoodie he’d bought the other for Christmas sent a shot of pain through his chest. Gripping the hoodie, he allowed himself to break down, crying into the soft lining of the jacket.

_‘I miss you so much.’_

He looked up to gaze around the room, feeling the emptiness without the other’s presence. His eyes widened at the realisation, almost physically feeling his heart break.

_‘I can’t let him leave.’_

Roman bolted out the room and down the hallways, taking the stairs two at a time. His footsteps echoed across the tiles, sending him skidding around a corner and into the yard where Virgil had left. He sprinted across the gravel, through the side door and onto the main road, still gripping onto the hoodie.

His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, desperately trying to wave down a taxi. The wind weaved itself into his hair, blowing it out of place and into his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity, a black taxi slowed to a halt in front of him. He jumped in before it had fully rolled to a halt, frantically shouting at the driver to get to the airport.

——————————————

Virgil walked through the airport, feeling a sense of trepidation at leaving. He didn’t actively  _want_ to leave but he knew it was the right thing to do. At least, what he thought was the right thing to do.

The jet stood out proudly against the blue sky. To an onlooker it would look impressive, but to Virgil it just looked foreboding. Climbing the steps felt even worse, settling the foreboding feeling deep in his stomach.

The sound of shouting stopped him on the stairs. He turned to see Roman sprinting across the tarmac with a plethora of security guards hot on his heels.

“Roman, what are you doing here?!” Virgil exclaimed, turning and running down the steps, holding a hand up and stopping the guards. His mother stood at the top, confused at the display.

“I can’t let you leave. You mean too much to me. No matter what you believe, I think you can do this. I know you can do this. Please, I know you don’t want to leave. So, come back inside, and I’ll show you what I see.”

“And what do you see?”

Roman paused for a second. “I see a man, that I care about very much, that just needs to believe in himself a bit more. That could do great things if he just had the confidence to try. So please, don’t go.”

Virgil bit back the tears, too choked up to do much more than nod his agreement, wishing he could just cling to Roman and kiss him senseless for making him see sense. Roman smiled, wishing he could do the same.

Virgil turned to face the jet, a guilty look on his face. “Sorry mom, flights cancelled.”

Her face practically lit up as she rushed down the steps. “Oh, Roman! Thank you so much for making him see sense.”

“My pleasure, Ma’am,” Roman chuckled, following the two back through the airport to where their car would be waiting until the plane took off just in case of an instance such as this one.

Virgil followed his mother back into the car, expecting to turn and see Roman right behind him. Except he was hovering outside, one hand pressed against the polished metal as he leaned down to speak. “I’ll meet you back at the castle, okay?”

Virgil shook his head in exasperation. “Shut up and get in the car.”

Roman’s eyes widened but he slipped into the vehicle anyway.

——————————————

Pulling back into the castle filled all three of them with relief. Virgil’s mother had been chattering all the way back about how she just  _knew_ he would come to his senses. As soon as the car fully stopped the two were out, walking as fast as possible to avoid suspicion. Walking back through the halls made him realise how close he’d come to actually losing it all. To actually losing Roman.

As soon as the door to the classroom clicked closed, he was swept up by Roman. Warm arms were circled around his waist, holding him close as a head was comfortingly nestled into his shoulder. “Never leave me again,” Roman whispered, breath hitching.

Virgil returned the hug, nestling his own head into the dip in Roman’s collarbone. “I promise, Ro. Never again.”

They stayed clinging to each other until they both were sure the other wasn’t going to disappear as soon as they let go, blown away like dust in the wind.

Roman chuckled, realising he still had Virgil’s jacket gripped in his hand. “I-uh-think this belongs to you.”

“You still want me to have it?”

“Of course I still want you to have it.”

Virgil took the hoodie, sliding off his old, tattered hoodie off, letting it fall to the floor. He slid his arms into the patchwork hoodie, feeling sense of calmness it bought with it.

Yeah, Roman was right. He could do this if he had his boyfriend by his side.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 chapters to go! Writing this has gone by so fast! Thank you two mylasagnaisraw and gaysonofjafar on tumblr for editing this chapter. Like always, you’re both stunning with your work.

The plane landed on the tarmac with a jolt and a bump, throwing the passengers inside. The white and gold jet shone in the sunlight, the colors bouncing off of it, making it seem impossibly brighter.

Roman stood on the tarmac, his professional persona perfectly in place. Virgil, however, was nowhere to be found. A sleek, black car sat behind him, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

The door opened and two people stepped out, one a lot more energetic than the other.

“C’mon Logan, Virgil’s waiting for us!”

“Slow down, Patton. Rushing won’t get us there any quicker. If you’d read the itinerary we were sent you’d know we still have a car journey ahead of us.”

An extremely excited figure appeared in the doorway and walked – more like bounced – down the stairs and onto the tarmac, his backpack jumping with each step. A calmer figure pulling a mini suitcase followed soon after, looking amused and wearing well-hid smile at the other’s actions.

“Are you Roman? It’s so nice to meet you, we’ve heard a lot about you from Virgil!” The figure clad in blue – Patton, Roman guessed – bounded up to him, pulling him into a hug. He froze for moment, shocked at how different Patton was from Virgil.

Roman disentangled himself from the other, straightening his uniform. “You’re Patton I presume?” Roman asked, offering his hand.

“I sure am! You heard about me?” Patton asked, shaking Roman’s hand with a grin.

“Virgil talks about you two a lot. Only good things of course,” Roman smiled, thinking back to evenings where they’d stayed up talking. Virgil had described every aspect of his old life in brilliant details, down to the color of the walls in his bedroom.

“Roman, I imagine? Pleasure to meet you,” The calmer figure- Logan – had finally reached the bottom of the stairs, stepping onto the tarmac and walking the short distance to where the other two stood.

“That’s me, and you must be Logan.”

“As you’ve probably heard from my more… excitable counterpart here,” Logan smirked, gaze momentarily flicking to Patton.

Roman chuckled lightly. “Let me take your bags. The sooner we leave the sooner you get to see, V, uh, I mean Virgil.”

At this, Patton brightened, hurriedly handing over his bag and climbing into the SUV. Logan rolled his eyes at the other’s actions but did the same.

Roman threw the bags in the trunk and climbed into the car, prompting the driver to speed away from the jet and towards the road.

They sat in relative silence for the journey, only broken by the excited gasps of “Lo, Lo. Look at this!” from Patton occasionally.

As the palace finally came into view, Patton’s jaw visibly dropped. Even Logan looked impressed, though a little surprised.

“This’ll be such a nice surprise for him. He needs your support after this big decision,” Roman smiled, turning around from the front seat.

“What do you mean surprise?” Logan asked, narrowing his eyes.

A guilt-filled look took over Roman’s face. “Well…Virgil kinda doesn’t know you’re coming. I wanted to surprise him, I thought it would be nice.”

“Of course it’s nice!” Patton interjected. “Don’t listen to Logan. He just likes to question things.”

“I object to that Patton, it’s just that-“

“You like to be organized. I get it, Lo,” Patton smirked when he caught the glare Logan was directing at him. “Awww, c’mon. It’ll be fun! You want to see Virge again right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then don’t be so uptight! Everything will be fine,” Patton smiled, leaning towards Logan. Logan visibly relaxed as Patton took his hand, smiling and nodding. Roman watched the exchange with interest but didn’t comment.

Roman jumped out of the jeep as it rolled to a stop, opening the door and helping the other two out of the car as the plan jumped into action.

Patton and Logan looked around in wonder as they dashed through the pristine halls, wanting to admire the palace but also excited to see their friend again. Roman briskly led them to the classroom, which the two friends stared at in wonder. It was like no other classroom they’d ever seen, though it did hold some remnants of a high school classroom. Papers were scattered across the table, along with pens and notebooks.

“Stay there, V should be here any minute,” Roman grinned, casually leaning against the opposite wall, like usual.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of waiting in tense silence, Virgil opened the door and strolled in. His hands were pushed deep into the pockets of a hoodie Patton and Logan had never seen before. “Do we really have to have a lesson today, Ro? I just wanna go back to bed,” Virgil complained, leaning forward and resting his head on Roman’s chest.

“Unfortunately, today’s lesson is essential, my love,” Roman smirked, wrapping his arms around the other. He looked up to see Patton and Logan’s surprised stares.

_‘Yeah, the cats definitely out the bag.’_

“Really? What could be more important than sleep?”

“Turn around and you’ll see.”

Virgil lifted his head up and fixed him a confused stare before stepping away and turning around.

At first, he thought he was dreaming, that they couldn’t possibly be there because that would be too much like a dream come true. But when they remained, the sight of Patton and Logan standing there instantly brought tears to his eyes.

“P-pat? Lo?” Virgil asked, as if trying to solidify their existence.

“Virgil!” Patton cried, running forward to embrace the other. Virgil returned the hug, clinging to Patton as if he were his lifeline. If he was being honest, Virgil was still a bit worried he’d wake up and it would all be just one amazing dream. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’ve missed you too, and Logan,” Virgil smiled, gaze flicking up to the bespectacled boy in the corner.

Patton disentangled himself from the hug, looking back as Logan made his way over. He could tell Logan was trying to hide the emotions he felt at seeing Virgil again, though his control was slowly slipping.

“Virgil,” Logan started, “it’s good to see you again. There’s been a hole in our group since you left.”

“I missed you too, Lo,” Virgil smirked, pulling the other into a hug.

Roman smiled at the sight. “C’mon we have a lot to talk about.”

\------------------------------

The four of them sat at the table, the trio enjoying each other’s company while Roman sorted out the orders of business.

“So…” Roman started, “I’ve bought Patton and Logan here to give you some support in your transition to running the country…and to take up places in your household if you see fit.”

“What do you mean,” Virgil asked, turning to face Roman, “What places?”

“Well, I spoke with your mother on their character and she thought Logan would be a good fit for the head of finances and Patton as the manager of the crown’s charities.”

The two-stared slack jawed at the prince and his instructor.

“Well, Virgil,” Logan started, “do you think this is appropriate?”

“Are you kidding? I think this is amazing!” Virgil cried, showing a smile that was rare with anyone except the three in the room.

They continued to discuss arrangements, Patton and Logan’s places at the palace becoming set in stone. Virgil had been separated from them once, he wasn’t going to let it happen again.

“I think we should take a quick break,” Roman sighed, leaning back in the chair and scrubbing at his eyes with his hands.

“Good idea,” Virgil agreed, standing and shaking the numbness from his muscles, “I’m gonna go for a quick walk. Join me, Roman?”

He caught Virgil’s eye and nodded, managing to wait until they were on a private balcony before wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. The spring evening was cool, though slowly getting warmer with each passing day. The flowers were starting to grow for the year ahead, waiting to burst with color from the small buds that held them captive.

“So, are they as bad as you expected them to be?” Virgil asked, turning around in Roman’s arms and reminiscing on the time in that very garden when Roman had personally insulted his friends. That seemed like a lifetime ago compared to where they were now.

“I may have overreacted a tiny bit,” Roman mumbled, looking at the concrete that made up the balcony floor.

“More like a lot,” Virgil laughed, before sobering up. “But I’m glad you realized your mistake. You bought them here. Thank you for that.” He leaned up and planted a soft kiss on Roman’s lips, which was gladly returned.

“Ready to go back in? Leave those two on their own for too long and they’ll set the entire palace on fire,” Virgil joked, heading back into the warmth.

However, the sight that met them behind the heavy oak doors made them both think they should have stayed on the balcony for a few minutes more.

Patton and Logan were wrapped up in each other’s arms, exchanging soft kisses and giggles. They seemed so wrapped up in their own world neither noticed the door opening or Roman and Virgil entering the room.

That is, until Roman’s cry of, “Well, this is a surprise!”

The two flew apart, both deeply blushing as they desperately tried to right themselves. Virgil stared at the two, shocked into silence.

“Virge, we can explain,” Patton started.

“Really? I’d love to hear why you and Logan seemed so loved up you didn’t even hear us come into the room. You two certainly weren’t _that_ close when I left. Or was it that you two hid it really well?”

“After you left, things between us just kind of…grew,” Logan explained, taking Patton’s hand and caressing it soothingly.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s not the only thing that ‘grew’,” Virgil mumbled, including finger quotes.

“Virgil!” Roman cried, shock at the comment quickly draining away as an idea grew. “You have no right to be mad at them for keeping this from you. Maybe we should tell them. They’re trustworthy, right?”

Virgil visibly deflated as the adrenaline ebbed away. “I guess you’re right. They can keep a secret.”

“What’re you talking about? Are you okay with our relationship?” Logan asked.

“I’m okay with it,” Virgil mumbled, “I may be in a relationship too.”

“Really? With who?” Patton exclaimed.

Virgil and Roman turned to look at each other, smiling. “With Roman,” Virgil said, not looking away.

Patton’s screech of delight bought the two out of their trance. “I’m so happy for you!” he cried, throwing his arms round the two.

“I have to agree, it seems like you two make each other happy. I won’t question it,” Logan agreed, standing and following his boyfriend.

“You can’t tell anyone, okay? Don’t say a word,” Virgil warned the two, looking and sounding extremely serious.

The two promised before breaking out into smiles. Patton’s was big and friendly, instantly drawing you in. Logan’s was more subdued, though you could tell he meant it.

Yeah, bringing Patton and Logan here had definitely been a good idea.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4 chapters to go…ahhhhh i’m gonna miss this when it ends. Thank you to mylasagnaisraw and ilovemyspoopydad for amazingly editing this chapter, as always.

Roman hovered near the gate, picnic basket in hand. The sun had set long ago but the night was, luckily, still pleasantly warm. Summer was on its way and it was coming fast. An inconspicuous jeep was parked close, ready for him to jump into at Virgil’s presence. The casual clothes helped him to blend in rather than the bright white of his uniform.

The echoing sound of footsteps on polished floors pulled Roman out of his reverie. The slightly hunched figure of Virgil appeared at the end of the corridor, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets as he hurriedly made his way towards Roman.

Roman smiled as the other approached, turning to face him.

  
“What’re you up to, Ro? I could be sleeping right now.”

“Oh believe me, this is much better than sleeping.”

“That’s a bold statement, Princey. Sure you can live up to it?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty confident.”

“When are you not?”

“…Good point.”

Virgil smirked at the victory.

“Just get in the jeep. I have a surprise for you.”

“Fine,” Virgil sighed, climbing into the passenger seat. Roman placed the basket in the trunk and jumped into the driver seat. He threw the car into drive and made their way onto the now empty main road.

The drive wasn’t long, the seemingly abandoned roads allowing them to fly past buildings and fields.

“I didn’t know you could drive,” Virgil said, a questioning quality in his voice.

Roman shrugged, keeping his hands on the wheel. “It’s part of the job description. My old boss taught me how. I’m in a higher position than him now. How times change.”

Virgil didn’t reply, just went back to staring out the window. Sadly, he had never seen the country he was about to rule apart from when they went to the chalet. This was his first opportunity to actually see the landscape.  
The park they pulled up to was dimly lit by streetlamps, empty but not dangerous. Roman hopped out the car, leaving Virgil to confusedly follow.

“Why’re we here, Roman?” Virgil asked, watching as Roman lifted the picnic basket from the trunk.

“You’ll see,” Roman replied, locking the car and taking Virgil’s hand.

Virgil sighed and nodded, allowing Roman to lead him over the gravel paths. The shadows of the trees that would have been unsettling and grossly elongated were banished by the sheer number of lights, lighting up every area of the park as if it were day. A children’s playground sat on their left, confined inside the metal gates that surrounded it. The right side was taken up by a grassy area with benches dotted around. Roman veered off to the right, placing the picnic basket on the ground.

“Can you tell me why we’re here now?” Virgil asked, stumbling to a stop.

“Look up and you’ll see,” Roman replied nonchalantly, pulling out a blanket and setting it on the ground.  
Virgil’s brows knitted together in confusion, but he looked up anyway. The sight made his eyes widen and jaw drop.

A plethora of stars dotted the night sky. Constellations that dated back hundreds of years lay out in front of him, as they had always done. They took his breath away as though he was looking at them for the first time.

“I realised we’ve never been on a proper date and I know you love to stargaze. This park has always been good to do both of those things,” Roman explained.

“Ro, this is amazing!” Virgil gasped, drinking in the sight.

“I should think it would be. If anyone finds out we’re out of the palace I could lose my job.”

Virgil turned to face Roman, smiling as he joined the other to sit on the blanket. “Then let’s make the most of this time then.”

Roman nodded, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to Virgil’s forehead before sitting back and unpacking the basket. The food he’d bought was more like a feast, sandwiches, sausage rolls and an assortment of pastries were spread out across the blanket. But one thing in particular caught Virgil’s eye: the strawberries.

It was after he’d consumed so many of them it was worrying, Roman raised an eyebrow. “So, uh, strawberries are your favourite, huh?”

“Yeah, I really like them.”

“So I can see…” Roman commented as the final one disappeared.

“Thank you for doing this, Roman. It’s been nice to get out of that place.”

“It’s my pleasure, love. Though I do have to say the alone time has been nice.”

“You never did tell me how you knew about this park though.”

Roman sighed and lay back on the blanket, pulling Virgil down with him. “I used to come here a lot. The orphanage is about a five-minute walk from here. It’s gone now, of course. Turned into some offices or something. But I’d sneak out and come here just to think and clear my head.”

Virgil didn’t reply, letting the words sink in as he subconsciously shifted closer into Roman’s side. They lay there in silence for a while, just taking in the stars that glittered and shined like dying embers above them.

“Do you think your parents would have liked me?” Virgil asked, breaking through the blanket of silence.

“They would have loved you, V,” Roman replied without hesitating, wrapping his arms around the younger before placing a kiss on the crown of his head.

_‘I wish we could stay like this forever.’_

“Do you think we should tell my family soon? We’ve been dating since November, it’s March now,” Virgil asked, hesitancy dripping from his voice.

Roman was silent for a second. “No, I think we should wait. I don’t think the queen would react well. Wait until after your coronation. She’ll have no power over you then. You might have heard she’s not the most…accepting of people.”

Virgil felt deflated at that but rolled his eyes nonetheless. “Or you could say she’s just a bitch.”

“Language,” Roman snickered but didn’t disagree. Virgil just smiled and went back to stargazing.

As the sky showed the first rays of light starting to stretch across the sky, the two packed up the basket and quickly made their way back to the car. The streets were still empty but it was better to go now than to risk being caught and having their picture slapped across the front of some tabloid. As the car pulled away from the park, Virgil watched it fade from view.

_‘I wish we could stay there forever.’_

The car was draped in a comfortable silence that neither of them felt the need to break. Relishing in the last few minutes of each other’s company before they snuck back to their rooms and went back to being the instructor and the prince.

The jeep pulled back into the yard as the sky started to become tinted with a pink you could only find first thing in the morning. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, ready to wake up the country to what was gearing up to be a warm spring day.

They creeped into the kitchen and replaced the basket, as though it had never been taken for the night, and silently tiptoed up the staircases, careful not wake any sleeping occupant of the rooms on either side of them and risk being caught. That was not how they wanted this perfect night to end.

Finally, and with a sigh of relief, they reached the door to Virgil’s bedroom. They shared a few seconds of silence as Virgil stood in the doorway, not wanting to part but knowing it was inevitable.

“Goodnight, V,” Roman smiled, turning to go.

“Wait, Ro,” Virgil persisted, grabbing onto the sleeve of Roman’s shirt.

Roman turned back, a questioning look on his face.

Virgil steeled himself and surged forward, avidly pressing his lips against Roman’s. The kiss was the longest they’d shared, only exchanging short, chaste kisses before. Virgil smiled as he pulled away, happy that the first time he’d initiated any affection had been a success. “Goodnight,” He smiled, leaving a dazed but elated Roman in the hallway.

Virgil made his way to bed, feeling happy and content after the surprising and long day. No one had ever put that much thought into a date with him before. No one had even dated him before.

_‘Maybe things are taking a turn for the better.’_

Little did either of them know, they’d be bought back down to earth with a very rough landing very soon…


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s angst time! I’m so sorry for this chapter… Thank you to mylasagnaisraw ilovemyspoopydad and gaysonofjafar on tumblr for their phenomenal editing.

Sunlight streamed through the open balcony doors as Virgil, Patton and Logan lay on the couch, midway through a Netflix marathon. The curtains fluttered slightly in the breeze that drifted in. It gave the room a sense of calmness and serenity; like the storm of emotions over the past few months had finally ended. Virgil smiled slightly, content with enjoying both the day-off and the memories of the night before. He finally felt like he could handle the responsibilities that had been thrust upon him, as long as the others were at his side. Patton and Logan were there and he had Roman.

_‘It feels like things are finally going to be okay.’_

A sharp knock at the door shocked Virgil out of his musings. He smirked to himself, remembering the last time someone had knocked his door in the middle of a Netflix marathon. That was one of the many memories he and Roman looked back on with fondness. Well, the moments after the argument.

Standing and making his way to the door, Virgil expected to see his boyfriend standing on the other side, ready to join them in binging  _Doctor Who_. Patton and Logan watched on from the couch. The smirk quickly slipped off his face as the door opened.  

It wasn’t Roman standing there. Virgil recognised the guy as the butler, though he hadn’t seen him since the first day he’d arrived months ago.

_‘What the hell?’_

“Good morning, the queen has requested you join her in the drawing room immediately,  _your highness_ ,” the butler instructed, distaste tinting his voice.

“Where’s Roman?” Virgil asked, ignoring the orders. The butler didn’t answer him, turning and walking away.  The only person who’d ever come to his room with instructions was Roman. So why wouldn’t they use Roman now?

_‘This can’t be good.’_

“What’s wrong, Virge?” Patton asked from where he was wrapped up in Logan’s arms on the couch.

“I don’t know. I’ve got to go meet my grandmother; I’ll be back soon,” Virgil replied, slipping out of the room and into the silent hallway. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, he frantically bolted down the hallways and winding staircases, barely managing to skid to a stop on the polished floors as he turned down the ever-winding corridors. Dread crept up into his stomach with every step that beat down against the marble floor. He tried to push it down, not wanting to have a panic attack if it was nothing to get worked up about.

The few members of staff he passed stared at him in surprise as he practically flew past them. He didn’t even give their shocked expressions a second glance, he was already around the corner and down the next corridor, running almost the entire length of the palace to get to the drawing room that was  _oh so conveniently_ placed on the other side of the building.

_‘Why is this place so big?!’_

Gasping for breath, he reached the corridor to the drawing room. The sight of the closed doors making his feeling of dread tighten and squeeze in his stomach. He paused outside the opulent doors, taking a second to regulate his breathing.

Deep breath in….hold…and out again.

Again.

Good.

_‘Now keep calm, Roman’s probably just taking a day off.’_

Virgil nodded to himself in silent affirmation. His hand wrapped around the door handle and twisted, stepping into the room.

Three heads turned to face him, two looking worried, one looking…annoyingly polite. His mother looked worried, gripping and twisting her hands. His grandmother looked positively joyful, but ready to blow at the slightest provocation. And Roman…Roman looked terrified.

“Uh, what’s going on?” Virgil asked, anxiously shifting from foot to foot.

“Virge, honey, take a seat,” his mother encouraged.

Virgil shot her a confused look before sitting next to Roman on the other couch. He caught Roman’s eye as he passed the instructor, releasing that Roman had as much of a clue what was going on as he did.  

“I’m assuming neither of you know why you’re here,” the queen observed.

“I’m afraid I do not, your majesty,” Roman replied. Virgil just shook his head.

“This morning a number of tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines printed a picture of the two of you looking…very close in a park not far from here,” she picked up one of the numerous newspapers and glossy magazines that were placed next to her on the couch, unfolding it to display the headlines on the cover page. Virgil’s stomach dropped. She turned the pages, planting it on the coffee table and turning it to face Roman and Virgil.

There, on a double page spread of the newspaper was a large picture of Virgil and Roman from the night before. The picture had obviously been taken from a distance, zoomed in to catch all of their actions in agonizing detail. Roman was planting a kiss on Virgil’s forehead, the other’s arms wrapped around Roman’s waist. Another picture had been printed to the side of the two lying together on the blanket, wrapped up in each other’s arms. A plethora of other pictures of the couple were dotted around the page, intersecting within each paragraph of the ‘story’.  

Virgil looked at the page in horror, his love life had been slapped across a national newspaper, on show for everyone to see.

Roman had started shaking. His life was over. He’d lose his career, his reputation, and, most importantly, he was going to lose Virgil.

“Would you like to explain?” The Queen asked sweetly, cutting through Roman and Virgil’s frantic thoughts.

“Uh, I, uh…” Virgil stuttered as his brain frantically whirled as it tried to come up with an explanation. Just anything that wasn’t the truth. A hand settling over his own bought Virgil back to earth.

“Virgil…I think it’s time to tell them. No more hiding,” Roman whispered, giving him a solemn gaze.

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I trust you know what’s right.”

_‘This is it. This is how it ends.’_

Roman looked up and took a deep breath before speaking. “Virgil and I, we’re in a relationship. Have been since November.”

The silence in the room was deafening. Virgil’s mother hung her head, her hair falling forward to hide her expression as she hid her face in her hands. Her shoulders slumped, she looked absolutely defeated.

Virgil looked on in despair at her reaction. He expected her to support him at the very least, even if she didn’t agree with it. But this…if Roman wasn’t still gripping his hand he would have broken down then and there.

The Queen, however, was still composed. A caring yet false smile had made its way onto her face. She still looked composed, still looked emotionless. She leaned forward, clasping her hands together as though to form a physical barrier. Her gaze zeroed in on Virgil immediately, completely ignoring the distressed figure of Roman. “Virgil, honey,” she started, “you must be confused. You have to have a family, a  _wife_ and  _children_. You can’t do that with a  _man.”_

Virgil froze, her words hurt and her tone was condescending, but she didn’t seem angry. Maybe he could fix this and make her see sense. “But I can though. Me and Roman can have a family together if we want. Maybe even kids.”

“Virgil, stop being stupid. The only way you can run this country is with a woman at your side. End of story,” The Queen contradicted, becoming visibly annoyed very quickly

“No! it’s  _you_  that’s being stupid. I can have a family if I choose to have one. It doesn’t matter if I like men or not; I can still have a happy family.”

“Angeline!” she exclaimed, looking to her daughter, “are you not going to back me up on this?”

Angeline removed her hands from her face, staring at her son with red-rimmed eyes. “Virgil, you can’t do this. You need to have a family,” she uttered, sounding broken.

“You aren’t listening to me! You never do. So, shut up and listen to what I’m saying,” Virgil snapped. Finally, the room was silent again. “I’m with Roman, and no outside forces will change that. But if you can accept it, then we can carry on the family.”

The Queen stood, by now she was scowling. Virgil shrunk down in his seat, the confidence he’d felt with his last statement dissipating.

“Not as a  _fag_  you can’t. You will bring this country to ruin!”

Roman jumped up, standing in front of Virgil as though he could protect him from the harsh words. “How dare you think you can call him that! The only reason he’s here is because of you, and you’ve treated him with nothing but contempt since he’s arrived. You’ve acted like anything but a queen, you’re no better than any of those homophobic groups you claim to hate.”

The Queen raised her hand at lightning speed and swung. A slap echoed through the room, leaving a bright handprint shaped welt on Roman’s cheek. Roman’s staggered backwards as his head snapped back from the unexpected blow, hand raising to cup his stinging cheek.

“Roman!” Virgil cried, standing and rushing to the bewildered instructor. He removed Roman’s hand, replacing it with his own as he gently grazed the tender skin.  

His gazed turned to The Queen, morphing into a glare. “You bitch!” Virgil screamed, lunging at her. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back as he desperately struggled to get free.

“Leave it, Virgil!” Roman yelled, struggling to keep his hold on the boy. “Don’t drop to her level!”

Virgil slowly stopped fighting, though his gaze was still firmly set on The Queen. She still held her rigid posture, though the composed expression on her face had been lost. Then she opened her mouth to speak again, and the world crumbled around them.

“Roman, you will pack your things and leave immediately. I can’t believe I trusted you. You have betrayed us in more ways than you can imagine. We were stupid to take you in but now we will fix that mistake. Leave. Now.”

The guards from outside burst through the doors at her words, making their way towards Roman.

Virgil clung to Roman, as though he would disappear as soon as she stopped talking. “She can’t do this. I’ll bring you back, I swear.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” The Queen interrupted.

Roman smiled, through the tears. “It’s okay, V. You’ll be the ruler in a few days. I’ll be okay then.” The guards took hold of his arms, leading him out of the room as Virgil valiantly tried to cling on before being forcefully pulled away by his mother, who’d risen from her seat and was holding him back.

“Roman! ROMAN!” Virgil yelled, losing sight of him. He fought his mother for a few minutes, finally managing to push away from her. “I can’t believe you’ve done this!” he cried as he ran across the room, bursting through the open door and into the hallway.

But he was too late, Roman and the guards were nowhere to be found. That was the last straw. He bolted from the corridor, running back across the palace as he tried to keep from breaking down. Luckily, the halls were devoid of anything but Virgil’s footfalls and the sobs that managed to escape.

He felt like he’d been running for an eternity when he rounded the corner and saw the door to his room. Tears had slowly started to fall down his cheeks, the collected persona that radiated hope and determination to get his boyfriend crumbling into mere fragments.

As Virgil reached the door and slammed it shut behind him, he hid his face in his hands, the intensity of the sobs wracking his form.

_‘He can’t leave. He can’t. He can’t!’_

“Virgil! What’s wrong?” Patton cried, he recognised the voice, though the tears were marring his vision, making the two friends who now stood in front of him nothing more than blurry outlines.

“I-It’s Roman…he’s gone.”


	14. Author's Note

I'm so sorry guys, chapter 14 is not going to be out on time. I’m really behind on it and there is no physical way I can have a finished version ready for tonight. I feel like such a failure for doing this, I’m disappointed in myself but I’ve been so depressed I physically haven’t been able to write. I failed you, I failed the guys who beta the fic and I failed myself by delaying it. I never expected the fic to get this big or have so many people care about it.

Once again, I’m so so sorry for letting you down, I wanna cry. I wanted to stick to the schedule for you guys but I haven’t been able to. I’m so sorry. 

Just to clarify,  **i’m not abandoning this, just delaying the next chapter.** I'll try and get it out as soon as possible.


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really sorry about the delay on this chapter. I really didn’t want to do it cause I knew I couldn’t keep you guys waiting after the last chapter but i didn't have much choice.Thank you to everyone who was so sweet about it. Thanks to mylasagnaisraw, ilovemyspoopydad and gaysonofjafar for editing this chapter!

The coronation hall glittered and shined, the gold detailing lighting up the room. High arched windows allowed the sun to shine through while also granting privacy. People were milling around in organized chaos, wearing headsets, carrying clipboards, setting up TV cameras…the entire building carried an air of excitement and enthusiasm.

But Virgil didn’t feel very excited or enthusiastic. He sat deep in one of the corners, slumped over in misery. His hood was pulled up to hide the tear tracks on his face, giving off an aura that warned everyone to stay away.

Well, everyone that wasn’t Patton or Logan. They sat beside him in silent support, knowing their friend wasn’t up to talking right now.

The raucous laughter of his grandmother and her cronies grated on his nerves.  His mother was nowhere to be found, Virgil hadn’t seen much of her since that day. Virgil grimaced and pulled his hoodie even further over his eyes, blocking out the disarray around him.

A hesitant touch on his shoulder pulled his eyes back open. He glanced over his shoulder to find Patton staring at him with concerned eyes. Logan stood behind, reluctant but sympathetic nonetheless. “You okay, Virge?” Patton asked.

Virgil tried to nod but the tears that slipped down his face told a different story. Patton frowned and wrapped his arms around the other, pulling him into an awkward hug. Logan joined after some prompting from his boyfriend, walking round and hugging the still crying Virgil from the other side.

People still ambled about and the world still turned as the three of them sat in that corner. Deciding the commotion was too much for him, Patton and Logan began silently moving the still distraught Virgil through a side door and out into the fresh air as he continued to cry.

 

“It’s gonna be okay,” Patton comforted as Virgil sobbed. Logan nodded along, stepping back to let Patton do what he did best.

Soon enough, people came looking for the prince and his companions, he had to quickly dry his eyes and wipe away any falling tears as he made his way back inside. Everyone was taking their places, ready to rehearse.

Virgil reluctantly took his place by the main doors, facing the empty chairs that would be filled with people tomorrow, the thought of all the people and reporters filled him with dread. The Queen stood at the other end of the room, looking oddly happy.

Virgil sighed and took a shaky step forward, making his way across the wooden floor, as instructed. His footsteps echoed and bounced off the walls, the noise almost unbearable as everyone else stood silently. He pulled his jacket tightly around himself, as though it could protect him from the onset of panic that was shooting through his veins, like electricity running up his arms and shooting across his chest.

_‘Too many people. Too many people.’_

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing towards the throne that sat on an elevated stage. Patton stepped forward from where he and Logan stood at the side of the room, ready to jump to his friend’s rescue, before being quickly pulled back by Logan. He glanced over his shoulder, a questioning look on his face. Logan just shook his head, begging Patton not to step forward. Not right now. Patton glanced down at the floor in silent understanding and defeat, stepping back in line. Virgil had to do this on his own.

Virgil reached the podium, feeling like an eternity had passed since he stood on the other side of the room, yet it couldn’t have been more than a thirty seconds. The steps felt more like mountains, his suddenly heavy feet feeling like lead as he tried to lift them. Sighing, he dragged himself up the steps, the tips of his sneakers grazing the wood as he stepped up.

The Queen stood proudly by the throne, finally looking proud of her grandson. Giving up his happiness to please her seemed to be the right thing to do in her eyes. Virgil still couldn’t understand it, no matter how much his mind whirled around the predicament.

The rest of the rehearsal ran smoothly. Virgil numbly followed instructions as he was directed to where he would be crowned. A sense of dread coursed through him at the thought of the crown being placed atop his head, carrying a far greater metaphorical weight than its physical presence did.

Both his grandmother’s and mother’s speeches seemed to drag on and last a lifetime, and soon enough the words automatically flowed from his mouth and into the room as he read off the paper he’d been handed.

Patton and Logan watched from the side-lines, worriedly eyeing their friend. Patton gripped Logan’s hand, shaking his head at the sorry sight Virgil cut before them. He turned to face Logan, determination settling in his eyes. “We’ve got to get Roman back.”

“Are you sure that’s a sensible idea, Patton? The Queen fired him, it’s illogical to make a decision to bring him back based on our own biased emotions,” Logan reasoned, looking at unsure with the idea.

“He makes Virgil happy, right?” Patton asked.

“Yes, I suppose he does.”

“Then we have to do this! We can’t stand by and let Virgil be miserable! That would make us horrible friends. Please, Logan, you know it’s the right thing to do.”

Logan contemplated for a few seconds, the pros and cons of the situation flying through his brain. Finally, he sighed, “Okay, a plan shall be formulated in the next few days. We’ll get Roman back.”

“Thank you, Logan!” Patton grinned and flung himself at Logan, wrapping him up in an enthusiastic hug.

“Don’t tell Virgil. I don’t want to get Virgil’s hopes up if the plan fails,” Logan warned, wrapping his arms around the other.

Patton shook his head, stepping back. “We won’t let that happen.”

Virgil watched Patton and Logan’s exchange with suspicion. Their words had drifted into silence before they reached him, leaving him to only be able to watch the conversation. Though even the way they were reacting to each other was odd for the two. Patton looked determined, an uncommon look on the usually carefree boy who lets things go. Logan looked unsure, an emotion Virgil had never seen Logan wear before. If he was honest; it scared him.

_‘What are those two up to?’_

\-----------------------------------------

A few streets away, a dejected Roman sat in a chain hotel. The traffic noisily blared outside, bleeding through the walls and glass and into the stuffy room. Roman didn’t hear it though. He sat at the table, eyes unseeing as he mindlessly stared at the coverage of the Royal coronation on the TV. A picture of Virgil appeared, bringing tears to Roman’s eyes. By now it was an old photo, taken on the day he’d stepped out of school to be stunned by the media presence, a story Virgil had recounted to him more than once. He realized this would be the only way he’d ever see the prince again, through pictures. No more stories or adorable teasing from him. Roman hastily wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. His uniform had gone, leaving him in a plain shirt and drab jeans. The look brought his mood down and made him unrecognizable from the peppy instructor he’d once been.

The picture on the TV changed, fading into a picture that made despair and anger rise up in Roman. The same picture of that had been printed on a number of magazines was now displayed on the small TV. The picture of Roman and Virgil wrapped up in each other’s arms made him look away as he madly fumbled for the remote, switching off the TV and abruptly cutting off the presenters who took enjoyment in gossiping about him and his boyfriend.

 _‘Well, ex-boyfriend I guess now,’_ Roman thought bitterly.

He swiped at his eyes again to wipe away the falling tears, mind whirling madly while also feeling numb and still. He sighed, staring out the window at the setting sun.

_‘Goodbye, Virgil.’_

 

 


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re back on track with one more chapter to go! Wow, this has gone by quickly. Thank you to mylasagnaisraw and gaysonofjafar on tumblr for betaing this chapter and thank you everyone who reads and comments.

The day of the coronation finally rolled around. Virgil sat on the window seat, wrapped up in a blanket and staring out at the gardens as they slowly brightened with the rising sun. He sighed and rested his head against the window, the glass feeling cold and soothing against his forehead, as if it could seep through his skin and calm his whirring thoughts too.

The castle was deadly silent, the kind of silence you could almost hear. It was devoid of the sounds that came with normal life, the chatter of people as they walked outside or through the wall from the corridor on the other side, faint but all too clear at the same time. But now it was silent, most people still blissfully asleep.

In a few hours Virgil would be coronated, dragged kicking and screaming into a life he refused to accept without Roman by his side. But here he was, with Roman nowhere to be found. He was doing it alone.

Well, if you didn’t count Patton and Logan.

Who, as coincidence would have it, were also awake. They were holed up in Logan’s room as Patton whispered into a phone and Logan typed away on a laptop.

“No, he’ll love it. No, she knows too.” Patton whispered, careful not to wake anyone up. Being confronted and asked what they were doing wouldn’t go down well. The clicks of Logan’s keyboard faded into background noise as Patton paused, listening to what the other person was saying before smiling and nodding to himself. “No, Virgil doesn’t know…Yes, I’m sure. This is going to be great!” Another short pause. “Okay. Just follow the instructions Logan’s sending you. He knows what to do, he always does.”

Logan didn’t look up from the laptop. Patton hung up soon after, immediately making his way over the where Logan sat, perching on the side of the armchair. “You done, Lo?” he asked, placing a hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“I think so. Everything she organized is in place. It’s up to him now, it’s out of our hands,” Logan replied, shutting the lid of the laptop and raising his hand to gently rest it on top of Patton’s.

“Don’t worry. He’ll turn up, I’m sure of it.”

Logan sighed, letting the tiredness he felt slip through his stoic persona as he let his head fall back against the chair. “For once, I hope you’re right. I really do.”

\-------------------------------------------

Virgil was pulled from a light sleep by the sound of the door opening. He scrambled to wake up under the fog that hung heavy over his consciousness and look as if he hadn’t been sleeping on the window seat. His eyes felt heavy and his mind sluggish and slow, as if everything was happening in slow motion.

His mother slipped into the room, looking sheepish and on-edge. She wrung her hands together as she stood there, looking about as tired as Virgil felt.

Virgil scowled at the sight of his mother, dropping the blanket and letting it silently pool at his feet. She would get no sympathy from him, no matter how tired she looked. Her silence at the meeting was still fresh to him, it still hurt in ways she couldn’t imagine. Of course she wouldn’t be able to imagine it. She’d stepped down, no one had stopped her from being with who she chose. Yet she felt compelled to stop him from having the same choice. And that was the thing Virgil couldn’t understand.

“Virgil, honey, we need to talk,” she stated.

“I don’t think I want to talk to you right now,” Virgil mumbled, dropping his gaze to the floor.

“Okay then, you don’t need to talk, just listen,” she replied, stepping towards him. “I never should have let Roman be taken away. I should have stuck up for you, told your grandmother that what she was doing was wrong. I know that now and I’m so, so sorry.”

“What use is sorry? Roman’s gone and that can’t be fixed. Why couldn’t you have said all of this then, mom? When something could’ve actually been done!”

“I tried, honestly I did, but it’s hard.”

“What do you mean it’s hard? All you had to do was tell her to stop!”

“It’s not that easy, Virgil!”

“Why not? What could make it so hard?”

“She could take you away!”

Virgil stared, open-mouthed and silent. “What do you mean?”

Angeline sighed, swiping at her eyes to destroy any evidence of the tears that desperately wished to fall. “You grandmother doesn’t need to keep me here. She does it out of courtesy for you. We hadn’t talked in years until the day she made the announcement, it was always one of her assistants. If I get in the way, she can force me to pack my bags at a moment’s notice.”

“You two always seemed so…close though.”

“That’s just politeness. She used to love me, I’m sure she still does deep down. She just doesn’t love my choice to abdicate. Since before his death she’s seen it as a waste, she never liked him. We went to her, same as you and Roman did, and got the same answer, that together we’d bring this country to ruin.”

“No,” Virgil cut in, “she hated us ‘cause we’re gay, it’s nothing to do with the country.”

Angeline shook her head. “That’s what she said but I know her, it’s not true. She thinks the only way to keep the kingdom going is to marry into another royal family. If you picked Thomas, for example, I know she wouldn’t have acted the same way.”

“Does this mean you’re on my side?” Virgil asked.

“Honey, I’ve always been on your side, and I always will be,” she smiled, silently offering a hug with open arms.

Virgil sobbed as he rushed forward, accepting the hug. Angeline stayed with him, gently comforting, until his sobs had turned into no more than the occasional slight hiccup, before pulling away.

“Now,” she smiled, “let’s get you ready for that coronation.”

Virgil nodded, smiling slightly.

\-----------------------------

The coronation hall was filled with chatter as people socialized before taking their seats. The conversations blended together into a dull roar in the room, the high ceilings easily allowing the conversations to echo and bounce off the walls, making the noise even louder.

Virgil sat in a side room, subconsciously bouncing his leg as Patton and Logan stood nearby. The room was silent, the noise from the main hall dying out before it could seep through the wall. The entire event made his anxiety sky-rocket, just the thought of having to go out there made him drop his head into his hands. The purple suit didn’t help matters, the constricting material making breathing even harder than it already was.

“You gonna be okay, sport?” Patton asked, sitting down as Logan watched from the corner.

Virgil nodded, looking as confident as he felt. “I just wish Roman was here.”

Patton and Logan nodded, looking to each other. Neither of them could imagine being parted from the other, and neither ever wanted to find out what that pain felt like. Seeing Virgil going through it pained them enough.

“Y’know,” Virgil started, “I never even told him I loved him. I should have done it when I had the chance.”

Patton’s eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. He wiped them away before Virgil could see but Logan caught on quickly, taking Patton’s hand in a silent show of affection.

The door opened and The Queen slipped in. Patton and Logan stood, silently making their way out of their room and to their seats. The Queen seemed to be the only one who was excited about the whole affair, grinning as she walked into the room.

“I can’t believe the day is finally here!” she exclaimed. “You’re going to be a great ruler now, Virgil. I just know it.”

“I would be better if I had Roman here,” Virgil mumbled.

The Queen’s gaze darkened. “Now, we both know that’s not true. You need to put the good of the country before yourself and  _he_  definitely doesn’t fit that description.”

“If you think that then you don’t know him as well as you thought.  Roman worked for you for years and this is how you repay him? He’s the only reason I agreed to do this and your backwards thinking ruined that!” Virgil exploded, standing and glaring at her.

A knock sounded at the door, telling the two it was time. The Queen turned away from the door to face Virgil. “Drop this, now,” she warned, a dark tone coloring her voice. She turned away from him, gripped the door handle and strode out into the hall and towards the podium.

Virgil hung back, waiting for the signal to walk out. The hall was now silent, the footsteps of his grandmother sounded even louder without the distraction of the chatter from before, throwing his mind into chaos.

Soon, the footsteps stopped and the silence became unbearable again. A man who had opened the door motioned to him.

_‘That’s the cue.’_

He sighed and walked out, replacing the silence with his own footsteps. Every head in the hall turned to face him, their eyes following his every move. The TV cameras were visible from the corner of his eye, another few million people who were watching him through a screen. Panic started to bubble up in his chest, red hot fire that raced from his chest to the tips of his fingers.

_‘Keep calm. Roman’s watching.’_ He told himself, knowing his instructor wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Virgil pushed on, walking towards the podium. He passed Logan and Patton, catching their eyes for a split second before moving on. A grinning figure closer to the front of the crowd caught his eye, almost making him to a double take. Thomas sat there, almost beaming with pride as he watched. He waved slightly as Virgil stared, before mouthing ‘where’s Roman?’. Virgil discreetly shook his head before looking back down and finally walking up the podium. He never saw the look of concern that came over Thomas.

Virgil didn’t remember much of the coronation after that, it all passed by in a blur. He remembered sitting down in the chair and having the crown placed on his head. The number of people officiating and making speeches seemed to drone on forever, their words blurring into mind-numbing noise the longer they went on. Virgil stood up on auto-pilot to make his own speech, the words he’d had to memorize already launching themselves into his conscious thoughts upon command. He was standing in front of the microphone when he made the decision. He wiped all thoughts of the memorized speech and started to speak.

“If you asked me a few months ago if I’d have accepted the chance to be king, to be ruler of this country the answer would have been no. If you’d asked me if I would have accepted the offer to even be here I would have said no. I didn’t want to do this…but it has also been the best few months of my entire life. I’ve learnt so much about so many things I never even knew existed. I’ve learnt so much about this country and its people that I barely knew before. I’ve met people who have changed my life in ways I never thought possible and who I wouldn’t trade for the world. People who convinced me to stand here today and say this, to take on this huge responsibility and run this country. And now I can say, with them by my side, I will aim to be the best ruler I can hope to be.”

As he turned away, thunderous applause echoed through the hall. His grandmother’s face held a look of carefully composed fury, he’d strayed from her perfectly planned script and there was nothing she could do about it. He smiled sweetly at her before spinning to the associate and signing the papers that were held out for him. The applause continued as he faced the crowd and started to make his way down the steps, his grandmother following closely behind.

That was it. He was king.

And he felt miserable.


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter, oh my gosh i have a lot of feelings about this. I don’t wanna ramble up here so i’ll put an author’s note at the bottom where i’ll gush and cry. For the last time (oh my gosh) thank you to mylasagnaisraw and gaysonofjafar for editing this chapter, i don’t know what i would have done without you all!

The palace gardens glowed under the fairy lights that were strung through the trees. A large marquee stood in the distance, the sound of music and chatter drifting from it. The bright white of it stood out against the midnight black of the sky, making it almost glow.

The path from the castle to the marquee was softly lit by the fairy lights, glowing like fireflies in between the branches and leaves as they were threaded from one tree to the next. The stars looked identical to the lights, looking as though the were strewn across both the trees and the sky.

The music from the marquee faded from one end of the garden to the other. At the palace, the music could hardly be heard, settling into a gentle, deep thud of the baseline that you wouldn’t be able to hear unless you were listening for it.

Virgil sat on the palace steps, staring out at the decorated gardens. He could hear the thud of the music in the distance but didn’t feel like partying. He sighed and picked at his suit sleeve, letting his mind drift to the thoughts it had been trying to get to all day; Roman. If it were up to him, Roman would have come back the second he’d been coronated. He was king now, he could overrule his grandmother, right?

Wrong.

He’d had no time to read over the paper’s he’d signed before the coronation. Reading over them later had made his stomach drop He was on a ninety day ‘probation period’. To put it simply, if his grandmother thought he might not be ready to run the country she could revoke his power at any second. Meaning he couldn’t revoke her banishment of Roman for another ninety days. He’d had no idea about the probation, Virgil’s heart broke at the thought of Roman thinking he’d just abandoned him. By then, he was sure Roman would forget about him. Or think Virgil had forgotten. Yeah, by the time rolled around Roman would definitely despise him.

Virgil groaned, placing his head in his hands and willing away the tears that threatened to fall. All of this was just too much. One problem after another. A second knockback before he’d even managed to comprehend the shock of the first one.

The crunch of footsteps on gravel made him look up. Three figures, lit in the soft glow of the manufactured lighting, were making their way towards him. Patton, in his light blue suit, and Logan, in a matching black ensemble, both looked concerned. Thomas followed a few steps behind, looking extremely distressed.

Virgil could understand why, he’d slipped out of the party without telling anyone. He knew someone would come looking for him soon enough. Luckily, it was the only three people he could stand right now. The rest were people he’d never met before, people who’d been invited because of their social status and the fact that it would look back if they weren’t offered an invitation.

Patton’s eyes fell on the slumped outline on Virgil on the steps of the balcony, he tightened his grasp on Logan’s hand and pulled him along as he quickened his pace. Patton waited until he and Logan were seated on either side of Virgil and Thomas kneeled in front before speaking.

“Hey, sport,” Patton started, “how you holding up?”

Virgil didn’t reply, just shook his head and hid it back in his hands.

“Logan and Patton told me what happened. I couldn’t believe it when I heard. I’m so sorry, Virgil,” Thomas comforted, placing a hand over one of Virgil’s that hid his face.

Again, no response.

“I can see how your current situation is unfavorable, but it is unlikely that it will stay that way forever. Roman will return and the happy emotions you once felt with him,” Logan explained, desperately trying to follow Patton’s lead and provide comfort to his friend.

“How do you know that, Logan? Ninety days is a long time, he’ll have forgotten about me by then or he’ll think I’ve forgotten about him,” Virgil whispered, still keeping his face hidden.

“You can’t give up now. How do you know he won’t come here by himself?” Patton asked.

“Because he can’t! Stop being stupid, Pat. You know he can’t come here. God knows what will happen to him if he does,” Virgil exploded, letting his hand fall away from his face.

Patton sighed, and rested his chin in his hands, falling silent. Thomas, kept quiet not knowing what to say. Logan looked at the other two, deciding it best to also keep quiet.

Virgil let the silence settle, gazing up at the cloudless sky as his mind whirled and spun around what Patton and Logan had said. He appreciated their words, but he just couldn’t believe them. They just seemed too unrealistic to him. The more he fought for Roman the more obstacles seemed to get in his way, making him slowly lose hope day by day.

His mind drifted back to the recent conversation before the thoughts of hope made the lump reappear in his throat and tears start to spill down his cheeks. Patton knew Roman couldn’t come to the palace…so why would he say that?

He turned to Patton, ready to ask that exact question but was cut off by a shrill beeping from behind him. Logan eyes widened as he hurriedly silenced the watch, standing and waiting for Patton and Thomas to do the same.

“Uh, stay here, Virge. We just need to go and grab something from the tent,” Patton stuttered, warily eyeing Logan and Thomas as they suddenly made their way away from him and towards the tent.

_‘What the hell?’_

Virgil eyed their retreating figures suspiciously. He suddenly felt on edge after their sudden departure. Logan seemed tense, Thomas seemed slightly clueless, like he was going along with something he didn’t know much about, and Patton seemed…nervous, it definitely wasn’t natural for his friends to act those ways.

So why were they?

Virgil heard the footsteps in the corridor behind him but took no notice of them, more interested in the sketchy departure of his friends.

The footsteps stopped abruptly and the thought of them instantly disappeared, expecting the unknown person to have walked into one of the doors that dotted the corridor. Virgil carried on staring at the tent waiting for his friends, who had now disappeared into the marquee, to reappear.

That was until a voice sounded from behind him.

“Well, I must say you were amazing at your coronation. I was impressed.”

Virgil jumped up and spun around at the voice, sure he was hearing things. The sight of Roman leaning casually in the doorway made his heart race and jaw drop.

_‘Oh my god.’_

He was here.

Roman was here.

“R-Ro?”

“Virge.”

Virgil raced forward, throwing himself into Roman’s waiting arms. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. Roman was the first to disentangle himself from the embrace, Virgil following his lead. They weren’t separated for long though, as Roman wasted no time in pulling the royal into a sweet kiss. Virgil smirked and relaxed, letting all the negative feelings wash away. Throwing his arms around Roman’s neck, he let the world fall away, leaving him with the only person he wanted to be with right now.

Virgil was the one to break the kiss, smiling and pressing their foreheads together.

“I missed you so much,” Roman whispered, smiling despite the tears the fell down his cheeks.

“I missed you too, you dork,” Virgil replied, letting his own pent up tears fall. For the first time in days, they fell out of happiness instead of misery. Shock of the moment over, he pulled away, instantly panicking. “Not that I don’t want you here, but my grandmother will freak if she finds out you’re here, I’m pretty sure if she can she’ll arrest you.”

Roman shook his head, still smiling. “She can’t do anything. Logan told me she never signed the papers to make my expulsion legal. She can’t keep me away.”

“She still could sign it though!” Virgil’s panic was rising, they could be found any minute.

Roman shook his head again, soothingly rubbing the pad of his thumb over Virgil’s knuckles. “Calm down. Her job now is to keep watch over you, not to make any new declarations. She can’t keep me away even if she tried.”

“Logan told you all this?”

“Patton called me. He, Logan and your mother have been working to find a loophole for me since I had to leave. Your grandmother never signed the papers, I guess she forgot in the run up to your coronation. I have to commend them for finding out that quickly, I really should have seen it myself,” Roman explained, nodding to something behind Virgil.

Virgil glanced over his shoulder to see Patton, Logan, Thomas and his mother standing there. Patton and his mother were grinning, obviously ecstatic that their plan had worked. Even Logan was smiling, though his expression was more subdued. Though the light kiss he planted on Patton’s cheek seconds later showed he shared their feelings. Thomas looked stunned and thrilled at the events unfolding in front of him. Obviously having been clued in by one of the others.

Virgil turned back to Roman and raised a hand to his cheek, letting Roman lean into the touch as he took in the moment his life fallen back together. “I love you.”

Roman grinned. “I love you too.”

\--------------------------------------------------

Roman, Patton, Logan and Angeline watched on as the now retired queen signed the forms, officially coronating Virgil as the reigning monarch. She hadn’t been happy about Roman’s return but had learned to live with it after her mistake, eventually accepting Roman as a good match to Virgil, who she eventually realized would rule well with Roman by his side, even if the tradition of ruling with foreign royalty had to be strayed from. Slowly, the trio had become closer as Angeline and her mother patched up their relationship, allowing Virgil to see the kinder side his grandmother had kept well hidden.

The media constantly snapped photos and yelled questions. Virgil had immediately tensed up in their attendance but kept his mind on Roman’s calming presence to get through the event. A technique he’d learnt helped immensely.

Applause erupted in the room and questions increased tenfold as he let go of the pen and stood, letting the media take the pictures they needed before making his way out of the conference room and back into the privacy of the castle, the others quickly following.

As soon as the door clicked shut, the congratulatory remarks and exclamations sprung forth from the group. Virgil smiled and nodded as he felt Roman appear at his side and slide and arm around his waist.

The group soon dispersed, Patton and Logan slinging their arms around each other they went one way, Angeline and Virgil’s grandmother going the other.

“Shall we go to our place?” Roman asked, tightening his grip on his boyfriend.

“Sure, Princey,” Virgil smirked, turning to walk down the hall.

“I guess I can’t use the excuse that you’re the prince anymore can I?”

“Not a chance. You’re stuck with it now.”

“Oh, the horror!”

\--------------------------------------

They sat in the gardens under the oak tree they’d claimed as their own as the sun set. They’d shared so many memories there. The argument they’d had under the night sky not long after Virgil had arrived had taken place a few steps away from that tree. Roman had coaxed him out of a panic attack in the very spot they sat in, where they had mended their tattered and torn relationship that day. And many more since Roman had returned, making it their regular spot to go to when they wanted to be alone, a feat that certainly wasn’t realistic inside the palace.

Virgil reminisced on all the changes signing those papers had bought. Logan was now head of finances at the palace, Patton was head of all the charities the crown funded, and Roman was now his personal assistant…until they wanted to make their relationship more permanent.

“So,” Roman started, breaking the comfortable silence they sat in, “I guess I should say long live the King.”

Virgil turned to him, looking serene as the sun bathed the two in an orange glow. “No. Right now there are no kings or titles at all. Just us.”

Roman smiled. “So just long live, then?”

Virgil smiled at that. “Yeah, just that.”

Roman turned and leaned his forehead against Virgil’s, planting a sweet kiss on his lips. “Long live.”

Virgil smiled, returning the kiss. “Long live.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, that's it. Thank you all so much for sticking with this fic, even when i delayed chapters. All the likes and comments you guys gave really made my day and pushes me to finish the chapter. Everyone who reads motivates me to push through even when i don't feel like doing anything. Now, i have some personal thank you's to give. Thank you to gaysonofjafar, mylasangaisraw and ilovemyspoopydad on tumblr. Without you three Long Live wouldn't have been half as good, i am so grateful for you guys! And thank you to cutie5780 on tumblr who worked with me to flesh out this whole idea to start with. Without you, this fic wouldn't have happened to begin with! I'm gonna stop gushing now, but thank you all so much to everyone who thought this fic was good enough to click on and spent their time reading. THANK YOU!


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